Dalia Kirschbaum

Date Last Updated
April 30th, 2021
Document Description

To address how NASA data can enable support of operations within the transportation and logistical sectors, the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Applications Team, in collaboration with the Aerosols, Clouds, Convection and Precipitation (ACCP) Study Applications Impact Team (AIT), organized the virtual 2020 NASA GPM-ACCP Transportation and Logistics Workshop

GPM Successfully Completes Performance and Functional Testing

An engineer stands in front of the GPM Core Observatory in the EMI testing chamber. GPM has successfully completed post-environmental Comprehensive Performance and Functional testing. These tests are performed to verify that the GPM Core satellite still meets all of its requirements after completing a suite of environmental tests (thermal/vacuum, electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility, vibration/acoustic/shock). The satellite is now being prepared for shipment to the HII-A launch site in Tanegashima, Japan.

GPM Undergoes Electromagnetic Testing

The GPM Core Observatory is continuing with the environmental test program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Following the completion of thermal vacuum testing in January 2013, the Core Observatory team started the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test phase. The Core Observatory has successfully completed the Radio Frequency (RF) Self-Compatibility test and is being prepared for the next step of EMI/EMC test program. The EMI/EMC test program is expected to be completed in April 2013.

2013 PMM Science Team Meeting

The NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team for the TRMM and GPM missions met on March 18-21, 2013 in Annapolis, MD. This meeting included oral, poster, and evening working group sessions covering mission/program status, algorithm development activities, international partner reports, science activities, field campaign results, and other science team business. More than 175 scientists from 11 countries participated. The TRMM satellite is now in its 16th year of on-orbit operation and the GPM Core Observatory is scheduled to launch in early 2014.

5th International GPM Ground Validation Workshop

The 5th International Workshop for GPM Ground Validation (GV) hosted by Environment Canada was held on July 10-12, 2012, in Toronto, Canada. The primary objectives of the workshop were to improve understanding of high-latitude GV priorities and practices, identify and prioritize remaining issues with algorithm development, increase coordination amongst international partners, and improved understanding of how such information can be incorporated into GPM retrieval algorithms. Over 80 participants from 15 nations attended the workshop to report on cooperative ground validation activities
GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
The GCPEx observing strategy framework is designed to use a combination of multi-frequency radar, particle imaging and water equivalent-measuring surface instrumentation in conjunction with airborne dual-frequency radar, high frequency radiometer and in situ microphysics observations arranged in stacked altitude patterns to provide the most complete coupled sampling of surface and in-cloud microphysical properties possible. The resulting 3D volumes will be combined to provide a fundamental description of snowfall physics at the ground and through the atmospheric column, and to create an...
GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
The primary objectives of GCPEx are to obtain coordinated high quality in situ and remote sensing observations of falling snow events in a northern latitude climate. Such systems are prevalent in the Ontario region in the December- February timeframe where monthly mean snowfall amounts are approximately 40, 30 and 25 cm/month for December, January and February, respectively. Furthermore, the primary choice for DC-8 operations (Bangor, Maine) will allow potential sampling of Nor’Eastern Blizzards and heavy snow events over St. Johns Newfoundland (site of current NCAR snowfall measurements...
GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
To augment the observations and provide additional test cases for synthetic algorithm development and satellite simulator testing, a number of modeling activities are also planned. Cloud resolving model simulate frozen precipitation events using the GSFC-Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) will be performed, initialized and forced by appropriate NWP forecast models. The GSFC WRF has single-moment Goddard Microphysics and spectral-bin microphysics. All of the microphysical schemes have their own set of unique capabilities and assumptions, and all will be tested by the GPM groups. In turn...
GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
Frozen precipitation is particularly difficult to measure from space due to the wide variability in snowflake shapes and behavior. Snowflakes can have different impacts on the active and passive instruments signals compared to liquid precipitation, which is further complicated by a weak signal to noise ratio resulting from different scattering properties of liquid verses frozen precipitation. In recent years, the capability to quantify liquid precipitation from space has been greatly enhanced with the addition of several measurement capabilities from low-Earth orbit, most notably from passive...
GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
Falling snow is critically important for society in terms of freshwater resources, atmospheric water and energy cycles, and ecosystems. However, there are few archives of falling snow around the world that can be used to improve measurements from satellites. GCPEx will make detailed in situ observations of cloud and frozen precipitation microphysics to improve these databases. Falling snow represents a primary contribution to regional atmospheric and terrestrial water budgets, particularly at high latitudes. While often overlooked, precipitation falling in the form of snow is critically...