GPM SAPHIR on MT1 (PRPS) Radiometer Precipitation Profiling L3 1 month 0.25 x 0.25 degree V06 (GPM_3PRPSMT1SAPHIR) at GES DISC

Version 6 is the current version of this dataset. Older versions are no longer available and have been superseded by Version 6.

The Precipitation Retrieval and Profiling Scheme (PRPS)is designed to provide a best estimate of precipitation based upon matched SAPHIR-DPR observations. This fulfils in part the essence of GPM (and its predecessor, TRMM) in which the core observatory acts as a calibrator of precipitation retrievals for the international constellation of passive microwave instruments. In doing so the retrievals from the partner constellation sensors are able to provide greater temporal sampling and great spatial coverage than is possible from the DPR instrument alone. However, the limitations of the DPR instrument are transferred through the retrieval scheme to the resulting precipitation products.

Fundamental to the design of the PRPS is the independence from any dynamic ancillary data sets: the retrieval is based solely upon the satellite radiances, a static a priori radiance-rainrate database (and index), and (static) topographical data. Critically, the technique is independent of any model information, unlike the retrievals generated through the Goddard PROFiling (GPROF) scheme: this independence is advantageous when generating products across time scales from near real-time (inaccessibility to model data) to climatological scales (circumventing trends in model data).

The algorithm is designed to generate instantaneous estimates of precipitation at a constant resolution (regardless of scan position), for all scan positions and scan lines. In addition to the actual precipitation estimate, an assessment of the error is made, and a measure of the ‘fit’ of the observations to the database provided. A quality flag is also provided, with any bad data generating a ‘missing flag’ in the retrieval.