Deepening our understanding of shallow precipitation measurements from space

Satellite-based remote sensing provides a unique opportunity for the estimation of global precipitation patterns. In order to use this approach, it is crucial that the uncertainty in the satellite estimations is precisely understood. The retrieval of high-latitude precipitation (especially shallow precipitation) remains challenging for satellite precipitation monitoring. This project will quantify the quality of the precipitation estimations obtained from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, where the focus will be on the level II and III products. Initially, the Netherlands is chosen as research area, since it has an excellent infrastructure with both in-situ and remotely sensed ground-based precipitation measurements, its flat topography, and the frequent occurrence of shallow precipitation events. The project will study the influence of precipitation type and the impact of the seasons on the accuracy of the GPM products. Hereafter, the project will focus on the physical causes behind the discrepancies between the GPM products and the ground validation, which can be used to improve the retrieval algorithms. The presentation will outline the project structure and will demonstrate the initial results.