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Typhoon Pakhar Moving Toward Vietnam

TRMM image of Typhoon Pakhar
The TRMM satellite flew almost directly over a newly formed tropical storm in the South China Sea on 29 March 2012 at 1122 UTC. Pakhar is the first typhoon to form in the northern hemisphere this year. The intensifying storm had wind speeds of about 45 kts (~52 mph) and was moving toward the west-northwest when viewed by this TRMM pass. Pakhar is predicted to be stronger with wind speeds of at least 60 kts (~69 mph) when it crosses into southeastern Vietnam on 31 March 2012. The rainfall analysis above used data from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments. It

2011 PMM Science Team Meeting Summary from the Earth Observer, March 2012

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This excerpt from the March-April 2012 edition of The Earth Observer provides a summary of the activities at the PMM Science Team Meeting which took place from November 7 - 10 2011. The meeting brought together over 150 participants from 10 countries, and included representatives from NASA, JAXA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), universities, industry, and other international partner agencies.

Record Rainfall Continues Over Australia

TRMM image of heavy rainfall in Australia
Over the past month northeastern Australia has continued to receive record rainfall from the monsoon trough that has been draped over that area. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has indicated that some recorded rainfall rates are seen only once in 100 years. Flooding rainfall amounts have been especially extreme near the coasts of northeastern Australia. For increased coverage, TRMM data can be used to calibrate rainfall estimates from other satellites. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is used to monitor

Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar Arrives at Goddard

Submitted by JacobAdmin on Wed, 03/21/2012
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Engineers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. oversee the arrival and unpacking of the dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) built by Japan for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core Observatory satellite. Comprised of two radars, the DPR is one of two instruments that will fly on the satellite, scheduled for launch in February 2014.

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GCPEx Wraps Up Cold Season Field Campaign

Submitted by JacobAdmin on Wed, 03/21/2012
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For six weeks in Ontario, Canada, scientists and engineers lead a field campaign to study the science and mechanics of falling snow. The datasets retrieved will be used to generate algorithms which translate what the GPM Core satellite "sees" into precipitation rates, including that of falling snow. Ground validation science manager Walt Petersen gives a summary of the GCPEx field campaign. Field campaigns are critical in improving satellite observations and precipitation measurements. 

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