Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season

This study provides a comprehensive comparison between Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) measurements through analysis of collocated precipitation at the 19 GHz footprint scale for pixels during hemispheric summer seasons (JJA...

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Main Author: Eun-Kyoung Seo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Geosciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/6/227
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author Eun-Kyoung Seo
author_facet Eun-Kyoung Seo
author_sort Eun-Kyoung Seo
collection DOAJ
description This study provides a comprehensive comparison between Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) measurements through analysis of collocated precipitation at the 19 GHz footprint scale for pixels during hemispheric summer seasons (JJA for Northern Hemisphere and DJF for Southern Hemisphere). Precipitation pixels exceeding 0.2 mm/h are categorized into convective, stratiform, and mixed types based on DPR classifications. While showing generally good agreement in spatial patterns, the GMI and DPR exhibit systematic differences in precipitation intensity measurements. The GMI underestimates convective precipitation intensity by 13.8% but overestimates stratiform precipitation by 12.1% compared to DPR. Mixed precipitation shows the highest occurrence frequency (47.6%) with notable differences between instruments. While measurement differences for convective precipitation have significantly improved from previous Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) estimates (62% to 13.8%), the overall difference has increased (from 2.6% to 12.6%), primarily due to non-convective precipitation. Latitudinal analysis reveals distinct precipitation regimes: tropical regions (below ~30°) produce intense convective precipitation that contributes about 40% of total precipitation despite lower frequency, while mid-latitudes (beyond 30°) shift toward stratiform-dominated regimes where stratiform precipitation accounts for 60–90% of the total. Additionally, geographical variation in GMI-DPR differences shows a see-saw pattern across latitude bands, with opposite signs between tropical and mid-latitude regions for convective and stratiform precipitation types. A fundamental transition in precipitation characteristics occurs between 30° and 40°, reflecting changes in precipitation mechanisms across Earth’s climate zones. Analysis shows that tropical precipitation systems generate approximately three times more precipitation per unit area than mid-latitude regions.
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spelling doaj-art-f1e08cd6c8de4765acddac80cd32f5452025-08-20T03:26:52ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632025-06-0115622710.3390/geosciences15060227Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer SeasonEun-Kyoung Seo0Department of Earth Science Education, Kongju National University, Kongju 32588, Republic of KoreaThis study provides a comprehensive comparison between Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) measurements through analysis of collocated precipitation at the 19 GHz footprint scale for pixels during hemispheric summer seasons (JJA for Northern Hemisphere and DJF for Southern Hemisphere). Precipitation pixels exceeding 0.2 mm/h are categorized into convective, stratiform, and mixed types based on DPR classifications. While showing generally good agreement in spatial patterns, the GMI and DPR exhibit systematic differences in precipitation intensity measurements. The GMI underestimates convective precipitation intensity by 13.8% but overestimates stratiform precipitation by 12.1% compared to DPR. Mixed precipitation shows the highest occurrence frequency (47.6%) with notable differences between instruments. While measurement differences for convective precipitation have significantly improved from previous Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) estimates (62% to 13.8%), the overall difference has increased (from 2.6% to 12.6%), primarily due to non-convective precipitation. Latitudinal analysis reveals distinct precipitation regimes: tropical regions (below ~30°) produce intense convective precipitation that contributes about 40% of total precipitation despite lower frequency, while mid-latitudes (beyond 30°) shift toward stratiform-dominated regimes where stratiform precipitation accounts for 60–90% of the total. Additionally, geographical variation in GMI-DPR differences shows a see-saw pattern across latitude bands, with opposite signs between tropical and mid-latitude regions for convective and stratiform precipitation types. A fundamental transition in precipitation characteristics occurs between 30° and 40°, reflecting changes in precipitation mechanisms across Earth’s climate zones. Analysis shows that tropical precipitation systems generate approximately three times more precipitation per unit area than mid-latitude regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/6/227GPMGMIDPRoceanic precipitationprecipitation classificationlatitudinal distribution
spellingShingle Eun-Kyoung Seo
Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
Geosciences
GPM
GMI
DPR
oceanic precipitation
precipitation classification
latitudinal distribution
title Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
title_full Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
title_fullStr Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
title_short Comparative Analysis of GMI and DPR Precipitation Measurements over Global Oceans During Summer Season
title_sort comparative analysis of gmi and dpr precipitation measurements over global oceans during summer season
topic GPM
GMI
DPR
oceanic precipitation
precipitation classification
latitudinal distribution
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/6/227
work_keys_str_mv AT eunkyoungseo comparativeanalysisofgmianddprprecipitationmeasurementsoverglobaloceansduringsummerseason