GPM SAPHIR on MT1 (PRPS) Radiometer Precipitation Profiling L2 1.5 hours 10 km V06 (GPM_2APRPSMT1SAPHIR)

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.

GPM Project generated these data at spatial sampling of 7 x 10 km (cross-track x along-track nominal at nadir).