Merged Satellite, Rain Gauge, and Model Precipitation Estimates

JISAO data

Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) precipitation
merged precipitation for 1979 - 2010, version 2.2
rain gauge component for 1979 - 2010

Introduction | Data | Analyses

This data set was obtained from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center . The version 2.2 data combines precipitation estimates from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) emission and scattering algorithms, GOES Precipitation Index (GPI), Outgoing Longwave precipitation Index (OPI), rain gauges, and TOVS sounders on NOAA polar orbiting satellites. Satellites come and go, and the technical documentation for this product documents it all in a very readable way.

The GPCP is managed by Robert Adler, and it is a component of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment of the World Climate Research Program. GPCP is an ongoing project, and updates and new algorithms are always being developed, so users are advised to to check the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to see if there is a newer product that replaces this one. The updates of the data seem to lag reality by 2-3 months. I will not be updating the netCDF version of this data set until I have a need for updated data. Please send questions or comments about the version 2 product to George Huffman.

References:
Adler, R.F., G.J. Huffman, A. Chang, R. Ferraro, P. Xie, J. Janowiak, B. Rudolf, U. Schneider, S. Curtis, D. Bolvin, A. Gruber, J. Susskind, P. Arkin, 2003: The Version 2 Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Monthly Precipitation Analysis (1979-Present). J. Hydrometeor., 4, 1147-1167.

Bolvin, D. T., R. F. Adler, G. J. Huffman, E. J. Nelkin, J. P. Poutiainen, 2009: Comparison of GPCP monthly and daily precipitation estimates with high-latitude gauge observations. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 48, 1843-1857.

Huffman, G. J., and D. T. Bolvin, 2011: GPCP Version 2.2 Combined Precipitation Data Set Documentation

Huffman, G. J., R. F. Adler, D. T. Bolvin, G. Gu, 2009: Improving the Global Precipitation Record: GPCP Version 2.1. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L17808, doi:10:1029/2009GL040000.

Yin, X., A. Gruber, and P. Arkinc, 2004: Comparison of the GPCP and CMAP Merged Gauge-Satellite Monthly Precipitation Products for the Period 1979-2001. J. Hydromet., 5, 1207-1222.

Data:
Note 1: The GPCP algorithms are always being updated so you are advised to check the GPCP WWW page to make sure that you are getting the latest and greatest version of this data set.
Note 2: Error fields for the preciptation estimates are also available at the GPCP WWW page.

binary files: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

netCDF format
i) Precipitation rate (mm/day), obtained from NOAA ESRL
ii) precitation amount (cm/month)
iii) 1979-2004 climatology Maps 1-12: January, February, ...; map 13: annual mean; maps 14-17 December-January-February, March-April-May, ...
iv) The rain gauge component of GPCP.

Climatology | ENSO variability

big GIF | PDF | PS
digital values in a netCDF file
The above figure is derived from 1988-2004 data.

Same figure, but with a grid.

big GIF | PDF | PS

The following are the individual monthly climatologies derived for 1988-2004.
digital values in a netCDF file (12 maps) | PDF file of the monthly analyses

big GIF | PDF | PS

Typical ENSO precipitation anomalies for all calendar months combined

big GIF | PDF | PS

The same analysis for just November through April (Northern Hemisphere extratropics cold season)

big GIF | PDF | PS

The same analysis for just May through October (Northern Hemisphere extratropics warm season)

big GIF | PDF | PS

netCDF file of correlation and regression maps so that you can make figures for your domain.
map 1: precipitation correlation with ENSO index (cold tongue index (CTI), similar to Nino 3.4 SST), all calendar months combined
map 2: preciptation regressed onto standard CTI (cm/month), all calendar months combined
maps 3 and 4: as in 1 and 2, but for November through April months
maps 5 and 6: as in 1 and 2, but for May through October months

October 2011
Todd Mitchell ( mitchell@atmos.washington.edu )

JISAO data