CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS
Measurements > Atmosphere >
Cloud particle properties and profile >
Precipitation Profile (liquid or solid)


Measurement Definition*: Vertical profile of the precipitation rate - Physical unit: [ g×s-1×m-2 ] (vertical flux of precipitation water mass) - Accuracy unit: [ % ].
InstrumentStatus/
Accuracy
Instrument DescriptionMeasurement TechnologyTimeline
ABI
Advanced Baseline Imager
Operational
Detects clouds, cloud properties, water vapour, land and sea surface temperatures, dust, aerosols, volcanic ash, fires, total ozone, snow and ice cover, vegetation index.n/a
ATMS
Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder
Operational
Collects microwave radiance data that when combined with the CrIS data will permit calculation of atmospheric temperature and water vapour profiles.Absorption-band MW radiometer/spectrometer
DPR
Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar
Operational
Measures precipitation rate classified by rain and snow, in latitudes up to 65 degrees.Cloud and precipitation radar
GMI
GPM Microwave Imager
Operational
Measures rainfall rates over oceans and land, combined rainfall structure and surface rainfall rates with associated latent heating. Used to produce three hour, daily, and monthly total rainfall maps over oceans and land.Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer
MHS
Microwave Humidity Sounder
Operational
Atmospheric humidity profiles, cloud cover, cloud liquid, water content, ice boundaries and precipitation data. MHS on NOAA-18 is considered failed following an anomaly on 21 October 2018.Absorption-band MW radiometer/spectrometer
OLCI
Ocean and Land Colour Imager
Operational
Marine and land services.n/a
PR
Precipitation Radar
Operational
Precipitation radar.Cloud and precipitation radar
CPR (EarthCARE)
Cloud Profiling Radar (EarthCARE)
Being developed
Measurement of cloud properties, light precipitation, vertical motion.Cloud and precipitation radar
DAR (INCUS)
Dynamic Atmospheric Radar
Being developed
Measures time-differenced profiles of radar reflectivity for convective mass fluxCloud and precipitation radar
GXI
GeoXO Imager
Being developed
Detects clouds, cloud properties, water vapour, land and sea surface temperatures, dust, aerosols, volcanic ash, fires, total ozone, snow and ice cover, vegetation index.n/a
MWI
Microwave Imager
Being developed
Measure cloud liquid water content, solid/liquid precipitation information, total column water vapour and temperature profiles, sea ice parameters, sea surface temperature, sea surface wind speed.Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer
MWS
Microwave Sounder
Being developed
All-weather night-day temperature soundingAbsorption-band MW radiometer/spectrometer
ATLID
ATmospheric LIDar
Approved
Derivation of cloud and aerosol properties - Measurement of molecular and particle backscatter in Rayleigh, co-polar and cross-polar Mie channels.n/a
* Description adapted from WMO.