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NASA Offers Visualization Tools Using GPM Data

Oct 02, 2015

At the core of scientific visualization is the representation of data graphically - through images, animations, and videos - to improve understanding and develop insight. Visualizations allow us to explore data, phenomena and behavior; they are particularly effective for showing large scales of time and space, and "invisible" processes (e.g. flows of energy and matter) as integral parts of the models.

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, launched on 27 February 2014, is an international network of satellites that provide the next-generation global observations of rain and snow. Building upon the success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the GPM concept centers on the deployment of a "Core" satellite carrying an advanced radar/radiometer system to measure precipitation from space and serve as a reference standard to unify precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational satellites.

Precipitation data from the GPM and TRMM missions is made available free to the public in a variety of formats from several sources at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA offers a tutorial that will guide viewers through the process of making visualizations using GPM data. NASA also offers user-friendly information regarding downloading and processing GPM data. This information outlines the different types of data available, the levels of processing, the sources to download the data, and some helpful tips for utilizing precipitation data in research.