The University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center served as the host institute for the third annual NOAA User Workshop on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission. The 3-day workshop was held from April 2 to April 4, 2013, with roughly 50 participants from federal government, private sector, and academia in attendance.
As a follow-on to last year’s highly successful event, the workshop co-sponsored by NOAA’s NESDIS/STAR and NWS/OHD, focused on user application of GPM-era data and products.
The GPM project is a joint mission with JAXA, the Japanese equivalent of NASA. Its research focus examines global precipitation, including rain and snow, through a network of satellites. The concept builds off of the ongoing Tropical Rainfall Measurement (TRMM) Mission, which began in 1998 and measured precipitation solely in tropical regions.
The GPM core satellite will employ a unique radiometer system that will be used to unify precipitation measurements of all types, from a constellation of research and operational satellites.
The core instrument is currently scheduled for launch in February 2014.
