PMM Science Team

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Overview

The NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team conducts scientific research (including algorithm development, mission implementation, product validation, and data utilization) in support of TRMM and GPM Missions. The team comprises scientists funded by NASA and international investigators selected by NASA on the basis of no exchange of funds.

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PMM Science Program Management Team

Name	Organization	Title
Dr. Will McCarty	NASA Headquarters	GPM Program Scientist
Dr. George Huffman	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	GPM Project Scientist and PMM Science Team Lead
Dr. Erich F. Stocker	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	GPM Deputy Project Scientist for Data and Precipitation Processing System Project Manager
Dr. Walter A. Petersen	NASA Marshall Space Flight Center	Deputy Project Scientist, Ground Validation
David B. Wolff	NASA Wallops Flight Facility	GPM Ground Validation System Manager
Andrea Portier	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	GPM Senior Applications Lead

PMM Principal Investigators and Proposal Titles (2021 - 2022)

In-person attendees of the 2022 PMM Science Team Meeting. Credits: NASA

Last name	First Name	Affiliation	Proposal Title
Adams	Ian	NASA/GSFC	Quasi-Physical Representation of the Microphysics, Dynamics, and Single Scattering Properties of Falling Snow
Adams-Selin	Rebecca	Atmospheric & Environmental Research, Inc.	Use of GPM to Understand Production of Hail in Organized Multicellular Systems in Subtropical South America
Aiyyer	Anantha	North Carolina State University	Maintenance of Long-Lived Easterly Waves and Their Transformation to Tropical Cyclones: The Role of Precipitating Moist Convection and Scale Interactions
Bang	Sarah	Marshall Space Flight Center	A Multi-Perspective Analysis of Hail Processes, Melting, and Their Environments
Behrangi	Ali	University of Arizona	Snowfall Analysis in High Latitudes to Advance NASA IMERG
Beighley	Edward	Northeastern University	A Precipitation-Based Risk Index for Well Water Contamination
Bloom	Alexis	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Using GPM to Resolve Plant Water Supply in Wet Tropical Soils
Bras	Rafael	Georgia Tech Research Corporation	Using Satellite-Based Precipitation Estimates to Obtain the Conditional Probability Distribution of Soil Moisture
Chandrasekar	Chandra V.	Colorado State University	GPM Global Observations and Precipitation Microphysics: Algorithm Support, Enhancement, Cross Validation, and Adding the Third Dimension to the Classification Module
Chern	Jiun-Dar	University of Maryland, College Park	Use of Satellite Observations and Global Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations to Study Precipitation Characteristics and Microphysical Processes
Didlake	Anthony	Pennsylvania State University	Understanding the Dynamics and Predictability of Tropical Cyclones Using PMM Microwave Observations
Ebtehaj	Ardeshir	University of Minnesota	Extending Forecast Skills of Global Precipitation: A Deep Learning Framework for IMERG Data Assimilation over the Wasserstein Space
Elsaesser	Gregory	Columbia University	Constraining Drivers of Tropical Precipitating Cloud Shield Areas Across Scales to Inform Climate Model Development
Foufoula-Georgiou	Efi	University of California, Irvine	Enhancing the Representation of Precipitation Space-Time Dynamics in Satellite Products: Validation, Error Modeling and Improvement of Retrieval Algorithms
Galantowicz	John	Atmospheric & Environmental Research, Inc.	Combining Satellite Observations of Rainfall, Numerical Weather Prediction, and Historical Satellite Flood Mapping to Forecast Flood Disasters for Humanitarian Mission Support
Grecu	Mircea	Morgan State University	Clustering-Based Quantification and Mitigation of Uncertainties in the GPM Combined Algorithm
Heymsfield	Gerald	Goddard Space Flight Center	Addressing Global Blind Zone Precipitation Estimate Errors from Space Using Observations and Modeling
Hristova-Veleva	Svetla	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Understanding and Predicting Tropical Cyclone Rapid Intensity Changes Using Passive Microwave Observations from GPM and TRMM
Igel	Matthew	University of California, Davis	Assessing the Tropical Two-Layer Moisture-Precipitation Paradigm
Kidd	Christopher	University of Maryland, College Park	A Framework for Precipitation Retrievals from the Evolving GPM Constellation
Kummerow	Christian	Colorado State University	GPROF and Regime Dependent Uncertainties
Lang	Timothy	Marshall Space Flight Center	Investigating Cloud-to-Precipitation Transitions with Airborne Passive Microwave Observations
Liu	Chuntao	Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi	Upgrade Precipitation Feature Databases and Assess Uncertainties in PMM Products
McCoy	Daniel	University of Wyoming	Constraints on Extratropical Cloud Feedback Through Analysis of Cyclone Precipitation Structure
Milani	Lisa	University of Maryland, College Park	Snowfall Type Classification for Improving Passive Microwave Falling Snow Estimation/Retrieval
Misra	Vasubandhu	Florida State University	The Monitoring and the Predictability of Regional Tropical Rainy Seasons Using GPM Products
Pettersen	Claire	University of Wisconsin, Madison	High-Latitude Precipitation Characteristics During Atmospheric River Events Utilizing GPM and Ground-Based Observations
Petty	Grant	University of Wisconsin, Madison	A 70-Year Climatology of Ocean Precipitation from Shipboard Present-Weather Observations Calibrated Using GPM
Posselt	Derek	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	A Study of the Influence of Convection on Atmospheric River Genesis, Evolution, and Precipitation Production
Rasmussen	Kristen	Colorado State University	The Nature of Global Convection from GPM: Extratropical Cyclones to Tropical Convection
Schumacher	Courtney	Texas A&M, College Station	Gravity Wave Impacts on Convection Near Complex Terrain (ROSES21)
Sutton	Jessica	Goddard Space Flight Center	Characterizing Extreme Storms to Better Inform Hydrometeorological Hazard Assessment
Tian	Baijun	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Investigating the Double-ITCZ Bias in CMIP6 Models
Turk	Francis	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Enhancements to Passive MW Algorithm Coverage and Representation of Vertical Precipitation Structure, Towards Future Improvements to Level-3 Precipitation Products
Williams	Christopher	University of Colorado, Boulder	Characterizing Precipitation Vertical Structure in the Satellite Radar Near-Surface Blind Zone
Wright	Daniel	University of Wisconsin, Madison	Global Multiscale Uncertainty Estimation for Satellite Precipitation Products to Improve Hydrologic Prediction

PMM Principal Investigators funded under NASA Internal Work Packages

GPM Algorithm Work Packages (Jan 2018 Summary)

NASA Headquarters has authorized a new funding strategy called "Work Packages" whereby key Principal Investigators at NASA centers who are repeatedly funded under ROSES calls are preselected outside of the ROSES call. This is a listing of the approved Work Package Principal Investigators and their topics for the 10th PMM ROSES Science Team (nominally 2018-2020).

Principal Investigator	Title	Task Summary
Cecil, Daniel	Better Understanding GPM Radiometer Measurements Using Ground-Based Radar	GPM, TRMM and related satellites have observed a huge number of precipitating systems around the globe. Pairing high-quality ground-based radar data with coincident satellite observations helps us learn to better interpret the satellite data, and to apply that understanding to satellite observations from otherwise data-sparse regions. This work aims to (a) improve understanding of how different hydrometeor types (and their vertical profiles and amounts) relate to observed satellite measurements; (b) investigate precipitation retrieval quality (error characteristics and biases) associated with particular hydrometeor types or profiles; (c) investigate characteristics of precipitation systems (and their related weather and climate patterns) around the globe. Click here for more info.
Huffman, George	Extending the IMERG Multi-Sensor Level 3 Precipitation Product into Polar Regions	Comprehensive science algorithm development, implementation, maintenance, and validation, including user support, for quasi-global combined-satellite precipitation estimates at fine time/space scales, both in near-real and post-real time. This work includes extending the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) to polar regions. Click here for more info.
Meneghini, Robert	Path Attenuation Estimates from the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar	Development, scientific enhancement and validation of the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) Surface Reference Technique (SRT) will be pursued by extending the dual-frequency version of the method (DSRT) to the new proposed scan geometry. In addition, hybrid path attenuation estimates will be formulated by merging the SRT with the the Hitschfeld-Bordan (HB) method of attenuation correction, which performs well at light rain rates. Tests of the performance of the hybrid estimates will be done by adding new code and new output variables to existing operational codes. Click here for more info.
Munchak, Stephen	Improved Representation of Active and Passive Surface Characteristics in the GPM DPR-GMI Combined Precipitation Algorithm	Continue to improve representation of surface properties through physical and statistical models that account for correlated properties of emissivity and radar backscatter in the CORRA forward model. Integrate retrievals of surface and atmospheric state (including ocean surface wind, land emissivity, water vapor, clouds, and light precipitation) in regions where DPR does not detect precipitation. Click here for more info.
Olson, William	Continued Development and Validation of Ice- and Mixed-Phase Precipitation Models for the GPM Combined Radar-Radiometer Algorithm	The overall effort is aimed at the development, delivery, maintenance, and validation of the Combined Radar-Radiometer Algorithm (CORRA) by improving the physical parameterizations of precipitation in all phases. The science emphasis will be on the further exploitation of non-spherical ice and mixed-phase precipitation particle models, as well as particle size/habit distribution evolution simulations, to support improved descriptions of the bulk radiative properties of these precipitation types in the algorithm. Precipitation phase transitions in stratiform, convective, and near-convective regimes will be addressed. Validation of particle models will employ airborne remote sensing and in situ data from recent field campaigns, as well as GPM DPR-GMI data and coincident ground observations. Click here for more info.
Petersen, Walter	Validation of GPM Precipitation Retrieval Algorithms across the Precipitation Continuum	Existing GPM-GV field and Validation Network datasets collected in warm and cold-season regimes are used to relate 3-D precipitation character and process variability to GPM retrieval algorithm constraints and performance. GV polarimetric radar and disdrometer-derived quantities of precipitation rate/content, type (rain, snow, convective, stratiform), and size distribution are processed and analyzed to relate dominant inter- and intra-footprint scale precipitation process/parameter variability to performance and improvement of key GPM algorithm components including path integrated attenuation, non uniform beam filling, retrieval of the rain drop size distribution, and estimation of rain and snow water-equivalent rates. Click here for more info.
Peters-Lidard, Christa	Dynamic Emissivity Estimates to Support Physical Precipitation Retrievals for GPM (continued)	This work will provide dynamic emissivity estimates over land surfaces to support physical precipitation retrievals for GPM. The dynamic emissivity approaches include physical variables such as leaf area index and soil moisture as well as empirical combinations of channel brightness temperatures, including their time variations. These global emissivity estimates are to be integrated and tested within the GMI GPROF algorithm. Click here for more info.
Tao, Wei-Kuo	Advancing the Retrieval of Latent Heating for PMM with Improved Simulations of Convective, Synoptic, and Cold Season Systems and their Associated Microphysical and Precipitation Processes	This work includes improving simulations/models for a wide range of precipitating cloud systems, from weak, unorganized isolated rain showers to intense mesoscale convective precipitation systems to large-scale synoptic snow storms, and their associated precipitation structures, latent heat release profiles and cloud microphysical processes. Data from GPM field campaigns will be used to validate and improve the microphysical processes in the high-resolution numerical models. Consequently, this work also expands and improves the performance of the Goddard Convective-Stratiform Heating (CSH) algorithm for the TRMM and GPM eras by using the improved model simulated latent heating, radiation and surface rain/snowfall data. Click here for more info.

PMM / GPM International Collaborator Team

Leveraging of GPM international partner research activities and infrastructure enables coordinated global precipitation remote sensing research and ground validation activities to be conducted. Here “global” refers to both geography and precipitation regime- enabling gap-filling observations and complementary research to more completely validate satellite observations around the globe. Within this framework specific collaborations between PMM Science Team investigators, GPM GV, and international partners have been sought. Currently active * collaborations are outlined in the below table.

Country	Investigators	Focus
Argentina	P. Salio	Ground validation of in a sub-tropical convective precipitation environment
Australia	P. May, A. Protat	Land/Sea-based direct GV, precipitation process studies and field measurements in the southern hemisphere tropics and mid-latitudes
Austria	J. Fuchsberger, G. Kirchenghast, S. O	Ground validation and rain variability in the mid-latitudes using the dense WegenerNet network
Belgium	S. Lhermitte	Snow process studies and measurement, Antarctica
Brazil	L. Machado, D. Vila, C. Angelis	Ground validation and storm system process studies in the tropics/sub-tropics, field measurements
Canada	D. Hudak, P. Joe (WMO)	Ground validation, snow process studies and field measurements in the mid and high-latitudes
Colombia	G. Poveda	Validation of the TRMM and GPM precipitation products using information from raingauges in Colombia
European Union (ECMWF)	P. Bauer, A. Geer	GPM data for model data assimilation
Finland	A.-M. Harri, D. Moisseev, A. von Lerber	Ground validation, snow process studies and field measurements, High-Latitudes
France	R. Roca, N. Viltard, F. Aires	Megha Tropiques Mission, data and algorithms, global land surface emission (Aires)
France	G. Delrieu	Cooperation in the Hydrological Cycle Mediterranean Experiment
Italy	G. Pannegrossi, V. Levizzani (IPWG), L. Baldina, S. Puca, G. Vulpiani	HSAF precipitation retrieval algorithms, ground-validation, GV radar calibration/measurement practices, mid-latitude Mediterranean region
Korea	G. Ryu, G. Lee, S. Joo	Ground validation, precipitation process studies and field measurement (rain, orographic snow), mid-latitudes land/sea.
Korea	KD. Ahn, G. Lee and S. Joo	ICE-POP collaboration in study of winter precipitation
Netherlands	H. Leijnse (KNMI), R. Uijlenhoet	Validation of Satellite Based Precipitation Estimates in the Netherlands
Portugal	Vasco Mantas	Ground validation, ecologic applications, dissemination tools.
Spain	F. Tapiador	Ground Validation, precipitation character and variability, field measurements, mid-latitudes
Switzerland	A. Berne	Ground validation, precipitation field measurements, Alpine orographic snow processes, mid-latitudes
Turkey	K. Yilmaz	Ground Validation of GPM-Era Precipitation Products over Complex Topography of Turkey and the Mediterranean with a focus on Modeling Hydrologic Extremes
United Kingdom	A. Battaglia	Active/passive radiative modeling, multiple scattering processes, field measurements, physical ground-validation
United Kingdom	J. Crosier	GPM Validation in the United Kingdom

* Note: The formal list of collaborators is dynamic, often a function of partner funding status and guided research focus.