Articles

Looking ahead it is becoming apparent that the future of precipitation research is probably not one in which satellite data are used in isolation. Instead, integration of satellite precipitation measurements with ground observations, cloud resolving model s (CRMs) and land surface data assimilation systems (LDAS) is likely to replace satellite-only precipitation products, particularly for forecasting and hydrological applications that require precipitation as input. This is already apparent in the analyzed precipitation products over the continental US and similar activities in Japan. Hence...

A GPM Ground Validation prototype is currently underway to compare TRMM satellite data to similar measurements from the national network of operational weather radars. The goal of the Validation Network is to identify and resolve significant discrepancies between the US national network of ground radar observations and satellite observations. The validation network prototype matches-up TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR, see below image) and quality-controlled NEXRAD reflectivity data (right) for 21 ground radar sites in the Southeastern United States. Conceptually, the Validation Network also...

Diagram of the GPM Core Observatory Carrying both a dual frequency radar instrument and a passive microwave radiometer, the Core Spacecraft serves as a calibration standard for the other members of the GPM spacecraft constellation. The Core Spacecraft was developed and tested in-house at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The GPM Core Observatory orbit inclination of 65 degrees is such that it enables the orbit to cut across the orbits of other microwave radiometers, sample the latitudes where nearly all precipitation occurs, and sample at different times of day. The GPM Core Observatory GMI...

Malaria outbreaks after the 2010 floods in Pakistan , E. coli and colliform from raw sewage in Mississippi flood waters , and cholera spread by heavy rains in Cameroon, West Africa are among the many health hazards associated with flood disasters and torrential rains. In developing regions with limited clean water infrastructure and health resources that are stretched thin, any advanced warning can make a huge difference in the health community’s response to help people in need. Flooding in Gonaives Haiti before and after the 2004 tropical storm Jeanne Using satellite data to forecast disease...

Soil moisture content is a measure of the amount of water in the soil. Knowing how much water is held in the soil is useful for many applications, including improving agricultural productivity, assessing drought and flood conditions, and even estimating groundwater supplies. NASA has teamed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to develop a global soil moisture map fashioned for FAS by integrating soil moisture observations from the Earth Observing System Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) instrument into the USDA FAS soil moisture...