Articles

Visit the Land Data Assimilation Systems homepage Rain and snowfall are key components of land surface models, including the Land Data Assimilation Systems (LDAS), which integrate satellite and ground-based observational data to generate estimates of soil moisture, soil temperature, evapotranspiration and runoff. Scientists use this and other models to study surface features and how they change due to manmade and natural conditions such as urbanization and erosion. The Global LDAS (GLDAS) uses TRMM precipitation data in numerous investigations into how water and energy cycle through natural...

Researchers need accurate and timely rainfall information to better understand and model where and when severe floods, frequent landslides and devastating droughts may occur. GPM's global rainfall data will help to better prepare and respond to a wide range of natural disasters. This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?11091 Landslides are one of the most pervasive hazards in the world, resulting in more fatalities and economic damage than is generally recognized. They have caused more than 11,500 fatalities in 70 countries from 2007-2010 , and in the...

In July 2010, monsoon rains put one fifth of Pakistan under water. In December 2010 and January 2011, Tropical Cyclone Tasha and a wet year combined to drown Queensland, Australia. And in the United States this May, flooding on the Mississippi River has displaced thousands of people. Over months or a few short hours, extreme rain can interact with the right combination of topography, land use and climate to trigger deadly and costly floods. Submerged houses in Louisiana due to extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina To better understand and predict floods scientists have developed...

Stormfront approaching the city of Bangalore, India Source: Manish Bansal Constantly scanning the Earth’s surface, the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) allows scientists to both track tropical cyclones and forecast their progression. Used by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and tropical cyclone centers in Japan, India, Australia and other countries, detailed microwave information provides data on the location, pattern and intensity of rainfall. Tropical Cyclone Eunice in the South Indian Ocean on January 28, 2015. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) found...

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is the first Earth Science mission dedicated to studying tropical and subtropical rainfall: precipitation that falls within 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south of the equator. Tropical rainfall comprises more than two-thirds of the world's total. The satellite uses several instruments to detect rainfall including radar, microwave imaging, and lightning sensors. Flying at a low orbital altitude of 240 miles (400 kilometers) TRMM's data collection of tropical precipitation helps improve our understanding about climate and weather. The Japanese space...