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GPM GROUND VALIDATION NOAA S-BAND PROFILER ORIGINAL DWELL DATA MC3E

Metadata Updated: April 10, 2026

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.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: See this page for license information.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 10, 2026

Metadata Source

Harvested from NASA Data.json

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 10, 2026
Publisher NASA/MSFC/GHRC
Maintainer
Identifier 10.5067/GPMGV/MC3E/SBAND/DATA202
Data Last Modified 2026-04-06
Category Earth Science
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 026:00
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 46113f5e-84ac-4497-a767-c408e5c4d6d3
Harvest Source Id 58f92550-7a01-4f00-b1b2-8dc953bd598f
Harvest Source Title NASA Data.json
License https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Old Spatial "CARTESIAN",{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-97.49,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":36.61,"EastBoundingCoordinate":-97.49,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":36.61}
Program Code 026:000
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash e83f4a286c50443c74b830a313a0bc9686556a80ee755f66ba3bd737ad1d2c96
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial
Temporal 2011-04-16/2011-06-07

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