BackForwardInstrument:  PRM 

Instrument details
Acronym PRM
Full name Precipitation Measurement Radar
Purpose To provide continuity to the GPM Core Observatory. Precipitation Intensity and type will be retrieved.
Short description Ku-band (13.35±0.01 GHz) and Ka-band (35.55±0.01 GHz ) Precipitation Radar. Polarisation HH for both bands. Sensitivity 0.5mm/hr (Ku) and 0.2mm/hr (Ka).
Background
Scanning Technique
Resolution Horizontal 5 km Vertical 250 m
Coverage / Cycle Across track scan +/- 20.3 deg
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency CMA
Instrument Maturity Backed by strong heritage
Utilization Period: 2023 to 2034
Last update: 2022-07-18
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Active and radio-occultation sensor
  • Cloud and precipitation radar
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • Precipitation radars and cloud radars
  • Precipitation radar and cloud radar
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud drop effective radius
  • Cloud ice
  • Cloud ice Total Column
  • Cloud ice effective radius
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW)
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column
  • Freezing level height in clouds
  • Melting layer depth in clouds
  • Precipitation (liquid or solid)
  • Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Accumulated precipitation (over 24 h)4 - fairPoor time sampling.. Time sampling to be interpolated by GEO.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar. Sensitive to both liquid and solid precipitation
Cloud drop effective radius*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for large and small drops
Cloud ice*4 - fairNo specific limitation.Ku- and Ka-band radar for large and small particles
Cloud ice Total Column*4 - fairNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for large and small particles
Cloud ice effective radius*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for large and small particles
Cloud liquid water (CLW)*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for large and small drops
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for large and small drops
Freezing level height in clouds*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar. Detected as "bright-band"
Melting layer depth in clouds*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar. Detected as "bright-band"
Precipitation (liquid or solid)*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar for medium and large drops and ice particles
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Ku-band (around 13 GHz) and Ka-band (around 35 GHz) radar. Sensitive to both heavy and light, liquid and solid precipitation