Long-term rainfall series

Owned by Maiwenn Herpe
Last updated: Jun 24, 2021 by Frederika Mourot
1 min read

Satellite(s)

Reanalysis from multiple satellite. Global datasets of climate re-analyses, which are partly derived from satellite data.

Monitoring element

Passive microwave.

Satellite(s)

Reanalysis from multiple satellite. Global datasets of climate re-analyses, which are partly derived from satellite data.

Monitoring element

Passive microwave.

Description technique

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international satellite mission to provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. The Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) is the unified algorithm that provides rainfall estimates combining data from all passive-microwave instruments in the GPM Constellation.

Accuracy / Resolution

10km, hourly.

Case study

Overall, GPM is currently the best known satellite-based rainfall estimate alternative to ground-measured rainfall.

Studies have been known to pick up high-rainfall events in West coast (West Coast example).

Other validation studies exist throughout the world, e.g. in Iran (Iran example), China (China example), Central California (Central California example), Bali (Bali example).

Also fits domain

Freshwater, Land.

Benefits

  • Daily.

  • Data freely available.

Limitations

Uncertainty unknown, but promising validation studies exist in other countries.

Applicability for Northland

Maybe.

Validation with New Zealand / Northland observed rainfall and possibly Virtual Climate Station Network (VCSN)* data would be required first to confirm.

*VCSN: Virtual climate station estimates are produced every day, based on the spatial interpolation of actual data observations made at climate stations located around the country (NIWA).

Publication references

Huffman, G.J., E.F. Stocker, D.T. Bolvin, E.J. Nelkin, Jackson Tan. 2019., GPM IMERG Final Precipitation L3 Half Hourly 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree V06, Greenbelt, MD, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), Accessed: [Data Access Date], doi:10.5067/GPM/IMERG/3B-HH/06

https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datasets/GPM_3IMERGHH_06/summary

Other comments or information

2000 - present hourly observations.

https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/NASA_GPM_L3_IMERG_V06#bands