Global Precipitation Measurement From Space
Abstract
The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Program is an international cooperative effort whose objectives are to improve weather, climate, and hydrological predictions through enhanced space-based capability to measure precipitation around the globe. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and the Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) have entered into a cooperative agreement for the formulation and development of GPM. This agreement is a continuation of the partnership that developed the highly successful Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) that was launched in November 1997; this mission continues to provide valuable scientific and meteorological information on rainfall and the associated processes. International collaboration on GPM from other space agencies has been solicited, and discussions regarding their participation are currently in progress. NASA has taken lead responsibility for the planning and formulation of GPM. Key elements of the Program to be provided by NASA include a Core satellite instrumented with a multi-channel microwave radiometer, a Ground Validation System and a ground-based Precipitation Processing System (PPS). JAXA will provide a Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar for installation on the Core satellite and launch services. Other United States agencies and international partners may participate in a number of ways, such as providing rainfall measurements obtained from their own national space-borne platforms, providing local rainfall measurements to support the ground validation activities, or providing hardware or launch services for GPM constellation spacecraft. This paper will present an over-view of the system architecture and status of the GPM Program.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006AGUFMIN21A1192H
- Keywords:
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- 1855 Remote sensing (1640);
- 3354 Precipitation (1854)