Global Precipitation Measurement

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is a joint

mission between JAXA and NASA as well as other international space agencies to make frequent (every 23
hours) observations of Earths precipitation. It is part
of NASAs Earth Systematic Missions program and will
work with a constellation of satellites to provide full
global coverage. The project will provide global precipitation maps to assist researchers in studying global climate, improving the forecasting of extreme events, and
adding to current capabilities for using such satellite data
to benet society.[1] GPM builds on the notable successes
of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM),
which is also a joint NASA-JAXA activity.

The GPM Core Observatory in the electromagnetic testing chamber at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in March 2013. The
silver disc and drum (center) is the GPM Microwave Imager, and
the large block on the base is the Dual-frequency Precipitation
Radar.

The project is managed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight

Center, and consists of a GPM Core Observatory satellite assisted by a constellation of spacecraft from other
agencies and missions.[2] The Core Observatory satellite will measure the two- and three-dimensional structure of Earths precipitation patterns and provide a new
calibration standard for the rest of the satellite constellation. The GPM Core Observatory was assembled and
tested at Goddard Space Flight Center, and launched
from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, on a Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket. The launch occurred on
February 28, 2014 at 3:37am JST on the rst attempt.[3]
Agencies in the U.S., Japan, India and Europe operate
the remaining satellites in the constellation for agencyspecic goals, but also cooperatively provide data for
GPM.[2]

1.1 Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar

(DPR)
The DPR is a spaceborne radar, providing threedimensional maps of storm structure across its swath, including the intensity of rainfall and snowfall at the surface. The DPR has two frequencies, allowing researchers
to estimate the sizes of precipitation particles and detect
a wider range of precipitation rates. The Ku-band radar,
similar to the PR on TRMM, covers a 245 km (152 mile)
swath. Nested inside that, the Ka-band radar covers a 120
km (74.5 mile) swath.[4]

GPM Core Observatory Instru1.2 GPM Microwave Imager (GMI)

ments
The GMI is a passive sensor that observes the microwave
energy emitted by the Earth and atmosphere at 13 different frequency/polarization channels. These data allow
quantitative maps of precipitation across a swath that is
885 km (550 miles) wide. This instrument continues the
legacy of TRMM microwave observations, while adding
four additional channels, better resolution, and more reliable calibration.[4]

2 Precipitation data sets

Visualization of GPM collecting data on March 17th, 2014 over
the last major snow storm of winter 2013-2014 to hit the U.S.
east coast.

GPM is set to produce and distribute a wide variety of

precipitation data products after the launch and check-out
of the GPM Core Observatory. Processing takes place
1

at the Precipitation Processing System (PPS) at NASA

Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as at the JAXA
facility in Japan. Data is provided at multiple levels
of processing, from raw satellite measurements to bestestimate global precipitation maps using combinations of
all the constellation observations and other meteorological data. All data from the mission is made freely available to the public on NASA websites.[5]

REFERENCES

In addition to maintaining social media accounts[6][7][8]

and the GPM Road to Launch Blog, JAXA and NASA
developed several outreach activities specic to this mission prior to launch that the public could participate in.
NASA Socials
JAXA-NASA Cherry Blossoms[9]
April 12, 2013, at NASAs Goddard
Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
MD[10][11][12]
GPM Media Day[13]
Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, at NASAs
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD
Social media users were invited to apply
for credentials to attend the media day
activities and share their experiences via
their own accounts.[14][15]
The social was rescheduled from October
8, 2013, due to the government shutdown.
Photo Contests
Extreme Weather[16]
Let it Snow[17]
Unique Perspectives[18][19]
GPM Anime Challenge[20][21]

4 In Popular Culture
Full-Scale Harness Mockup Model of the Core GPM Spacecraft
being used for harness assembly inside the Acoustic Chamber at
GSFC.

The main character Mohan Bharghav (Shahrukh Khan) in

2004 Indian lm Swades: We, the People is a Project Manager in NASAs GPM project. Movie starts from NASAs
GPM project analysis. Bharghav discuss the importance
of GPM and its positive impact on Earth.[22]

5 References

Social media

[1] The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission.

NASA. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
[2] Constellation Partners. NASA. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
[3] GPM Launch Information. NASA. Retrieved 2014-0219.
[4] GPM Spacecraft and Instruments. NASA. Retrieved
2014-02-19.
[5] Explanation of Data Products. NASA. Retrieved 201402-19.
This animation shows GPM collecting some of its very rst data
on March 10th over a Pacic storm east of Japan.

[6] GPM & TRMM Missions (NASA_Rain) on Twitter.

Twitter.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.

[7] Precipitation Measurement Missions. Facebook. 201402-22. Retrieved 2014-02-26.

[8] NASA Goddard. YouTube. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[9] A Blooming Partnership: Behind the Scenes of JAXA &
NASA Missions | NASA. Nasa.gov. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[10] "@NASASocial/JAXA/NASA Cherry Blossoms on Twitter. Twitter.com. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[11] NASA, JAXA Host 'NASA Social' - a set on Flickr.
Flickr.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[12] Cherry Blossoms and Partnerships in Space discussed at
NASA Social. YouTube. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 201402-26.
[13] Social Media Accreditation Opens for GPM Media Day
| NASA. Nasa.gov. 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[14] GPM NASA Social at Goddard - a set on Flickr.
Flickr.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[15] "@NASASocial/GPM Media Day on Twitter. Twitter.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[16] Extreme Weather Photo Contest Winners | Precipitation Measurement Missions. Pmm.nasa.gov. Retrieved
2014-02-26.
[17] GPM Let it Snow Photo Contest Winners | Precipitation Measurement Missions. Pmm.nasa.gov. Retrieved
2014-02-26.
[18] GPM Unique Perspectives Contest | Precipitation
Measurement Missions. Pmm.nasa.gov. Retrieved
2014-02-26.
[19] GPM Unique Perspectives Winners.
trieved 13 February 2014.

NASA. Re-

[20] GPM Anime Challenge. "| Precipitation Education.

Pmm.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[21] Winners of the GPM Anime Challenge | Precipitation
Education. Pmm.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
[22] 10 Best Bollywood Movies of the Decade Redi.com retrieved March 01 2014

External links
Ocial website (NASA)
GPM videos
Ocial website (JAXA)
Global Precipitation Measurement/ Dualfrequency Precipitation Radar pamphlet
videos
Twitter and Facebook

7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

Global Precipitation Measurement Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global%20Precipitation%20Measurement?oldid=642722390

Contributors: Stone, Oneiros, Evolauxia, Wavelength, RadioFan, Premkudva, Nickst, Cattus, WDGraham, Sirotzky, Yangiskan, Magioladitis, Vigyani, MystBot, Addbot, AnomieBOT, Citation bot, Nasa-verve, FrescoBot, Originalwana, Manusrinath, Caleystaxi, Yiosie2356,
ChiZeroOne, BG19bot, BattyBot, Mogism, Verteber, Earth-Observations, Ugog Nizdast and Anonymous: 9

7.2

Images

File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original

artist: ?
File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:GPM-GMI_First_Light.ogg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/GPM-GMI_First_Light.ogg License:
Public domain Contributors: NASA Earth Observatory Original artist: NASAs Scientic Visualization Studio
File:GPM_Examines_East_Coast_Snow_Storm.ogg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/GPM_Examines_
East_Coast_Snow_Storm.ogg License: Public domain Contributors: Goddard Multimedia Original artist: NASAs Scientic Visualization
Studio. Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission
File:GPM_in_the_EMI_EMC_Test_Chamber.jpg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/GPM_in_the_
EMI_EMC_Test_Chamber.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://pmm.nasa.gov/multimedia/images Original artist: NASA
Goddard
File:GPM_testing.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/GPM_testing.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work (Original caption: I (RadioFan (talk)) created this work entirely by myself) Original artist: RadioFan at en.wikipedia
File:NASA_logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Converted from Encapsulated PostScript at http://grcpublishing.grc.nasa.gov/IMAGES/Insig-cl.eps Original artist: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
File:Portal-puzzle.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:Visualization_of_the_GPM_Core_Observatory_and_Partner_Satellites.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/4/4e/Visualization_of_the_GPM_Core_Observatory_and_Partner_Satellites.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http:
//svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11369 (image link) Original artist: NASA

7.3

Content license

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