Typhoon Bolaven began as a tropical depression over the West Pacific Ocean on Oct. 7, 2023. On Oct. 10, Bolaven became a Typhoon and passed over the Mariana Islands as it tracked to the northwest. Bolaven then rapidly intensified over 12 hours from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, starting around 12 UTC on Oct. 10. Several factors contributed to the rapid intensification, including modest shear in the atmosphere and warm sea-surface temperatures. This animation shows precipitation within Typhoon Bolaven around the time that rapid intensification began. The global

Above image: Attendees of the 2023 PMM Science Team Meeting.

Updated: Nov. 8, 2023 George Huffman, GPM Project Scientist The GPM Core Observatory (GPM-CO) satellite performed two orbit boost maneuvers on Nov. 7 and 8, 2023 that raised its altitude from 400km to 435km. The goal of these boosts is to restore the GPM-CO's lifespan closer to the original estimates of ending in the early 2030’s. Recent lifespan estimates have been getting shorter due to unexpectedly high solar activity, which causes additional atmospheric drag on the spacecraft. The primary goal of restoring GPM-CO’s lifespan is to allow the GPM mission to overlap with the satellites