The GPM Ground Validation NOAA Surface Meteorological Station MC3E dataset was collected at the NOAA Southern Great Plains Facility for the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) and includes measurements of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity and precipitation. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. The instruments gathering this data were respectively a propeller wind monitor located 10 meters above the ground, a temperature and humidity sensor at the ground, and a tipping rain gauge at the ground. These data were collected from April 5, 2011 to June 7, 2011.

GPM GV Parsivel UConn

The GPM Ground Validation NOAA UHF 449 Profiler MC3E dataset was collected during the NASA supported Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. The Ultra High Frequency 449 MHz profiler was one of three NOAA deployed instruments which also included a Parsivel and a 2.8 GHz profiler (S-Band). The 449 MHz profiler raw data files provide estimates of the vertical air motion during precipitation from near the surface to just below the freezing level. Used together with the S-band profiler, vertical profiles of raindrop size distributions can be retrieved. The raw 449MGx profiler data consists of uncalibrated Doppler velocity spectra data in units of relative power return.

The GPM Ground Validation Autonomous Parsivel Unit (APU) MC3E dataset was collected by the Autonomous Parsivel Unit (APU), which is an optical disdrometer that measures the size and fall velocity of single precipitation particles. The APU consists of the Parsivel (the precipitation measuring instrument), developed by OTT in Germany, and its support systems, which were designed and built by the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The APU dataset for the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) provides precipitation data including raindrop size, precipitation drop size, precipitation rate and amount. The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) took place in central Oklahoma during the April-June 2011 period. The experiment was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Ground Validation (GV) program. The field campaign leveraged the unprecedented observing infrastructure currently available in the central United States, combined with an extensive sounding array, remote sensing and in situ aircraft observations, NASA GPM ground validation remote sensors, and new ARM instrumentation purchased with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms.

The GPM Ground Validation NOAA S-Band Profiler Original Dwell Data MC3E dataset was gathered during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) in Oklahoma from April 16, 2011 to June 7, 2011. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. The S-band profiler operated at 2.8 GHz, pointed vertically, and measured the backscattered power from raindrops and ice particles as precipitating cloud systems passed overhead. The S-band operated in two modes: precipitation mode and attenuated mode. The precipitation mode was the normal or full-power mode, and the attenuated mode was the low-power mode. The profiler alternated between modes collecting either 7 or 9 consecutive precipitation mode profiles separated by 1 attenuated mode profile. Both modes processed radar pulses collected during a 7-second dwell before calculating the Doppler velocity spectra at each radar range gate that were separated by 60-meters in the vertical. The attenuated and precipitation mode data are available in moment, pop spectra (uncalibrated raw spectra) and calibrated spectra hourly files. The S-band spectra were calibrated against the surface disdrometer to determine a radar calibration constant. Calibrated spectra were constructed for each profile and are expressed as reflectivity spectral density. After calibration, the instrument provides a reflectivity estimate through the precipitation. Data is in hourly files in the netCDF format.

The GPM Ground Validation NOAA S-Band Profiler Raw Data SPC Format MC3E dataset is the S-band Profiler Raw dataset was saved in Vaisala SPC format. The numeric values in both formats are exactly the same. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. The S-band Profiler Raw dataset in the proprietary Vaisala SPC format was gathered during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) in Oklahoma April 8, 2011 to June 7, 2011 and consists of uncalibrated Doppler velocity spectra data in units of relative power return. The S-band 2.8 GHz profiler points vertically and measures the backscattered power from raindrops and ice particles as precipitating cloud systems pass overhead. The profiler processes radar pulses during a 7-second dwell before calculating and saving uncalibrated Doppler velocity spectra at each range gate that were separated by 60-meters vertically. Data collected during each hour are saved in two files. All precipitation mode profiles are saved in one hourly data file and all attenuated mode profiles are saved in another hourly data file. Calibrated data can be obtained from the S-band Original Dwell and Minute datasets. Specialized read software may be purchased from Vaisala.

The GPM Ground Validation Autonomous Parsivel Unit (APU) GCPEx dataset was collected by the Autonomous Parsivel Unit (APU), which is an optical disdrometer that measures the size and fall velocity of single precipitation particles. The APU consists of the Parsivel (the precipitation measuring instrument), developed by OTT in Germany, and its support systems, which were designed and built by the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. These data sets were collected to aid in the achievement of the over arching goal of GCPEx which is to characterize the ability of multi-frequency active and passive microwave sensors to detect and estimate falling snow. The APU dataset for GCPEx provides precipitation data including raindrop size, raindrop counts, precipitation drop size, precipitation rate, precipitation amount, and snowflake size, counts and distribution. The GCPEx APU data was collected from several sites in Canada during the Winter 2011-2012 period.

The GPM Ground Validation NASA EPFL-LTE Parsivel DSD Data Lausanne, Switzerland dataset consists of a network of 16 Parsivel disdrometers deployed on the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) campus in Lausanne, Switzerland for about 16 months from March 2009 to July 2010. The distribution of the disdrometers was to cover a typical operational radar pixel (about 1x1 km2). Since all the stations were not deployed at the same time, additional data are available from November 2008 to September 2010. The dataset also consists of a list of precipitation events that occurred throughout the study period. There are two types of data, raw data and filtered volumic drop size distribution data. These data are in ASCII (.dat, .txt) format that are compressed into .gz files.

The GPM Ground Validation UNCA Upper Air Radiosonde IPHEx dataset was collected from April 29, 2014 through June 12, 2014 during the GPM Ground Validation Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) held in North Carolina. The goal of IPHEx was to characterize warm season orographic precipitation regimes and the relationship between precipitation regimes and hydrologic processes in regions of complex terrain. These radiosonde data files include pressure, geometric height, temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, wind direction, and wind speed measurements at various levels of the troposphere. The data are available in ASCII-tsv format files, and browse imagery are available as Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format files.

The GPM Ground Validation Campaign Reports MC3E dataset consists of various reports filed by the scientists during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) campaign. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. Several of the reports are from the planning, test flights, and preparation. Included in this dataset are Mission Scientist, Mission Manager, Instrument Scientists, and Weather Forecasts. Many reports have additional information included as attachments.