TC PRIMED Data Source Information
Data source overview
TC PRIMED centers around passive microwave observations from the low-Earth-orbiting satellites of the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Constellation. The NASA GPM Constellation consists of a series of satellites from various partnering agencies that share data through bilateral agreements with either NASA or the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA). Overall, the GPM Constellation includes sensors from agencies such as NASA, JAXA, NOAA, European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the U.S. Department of Defense.
TC PRIMED contains only GPM Constellation sensors that have been in orbit long enough to allow for inter-calibration, and with enough observing frequencies to provide meaningful precipitation estimates. To facilitate a wide range of research endeavors and forecast product development, TC PRIMED matches these passive microwave observations of tropical cyclones with other data sources. Altogether, TC PRIMED contains the following data:
- NASA Low-Earth Orbiter Products:
- Tropical cyclone characteristics from the NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Department of Defense Joint Typhoon Warning Center
- Nearly-coincident infrared brightness temperature observations from a global constellation of geostationary satellites (NOAA/STAR TC IRAR)
- ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis fields and derived environmental diagnostics
For an overview of TC PRIMED, see
- Razin, M. N., C. J. Slocum, J. A. Knaff, P. J. Brown, and M. M. Bell, : Tropical Cyclone Precipitation, Infrared, Microwave, and Environmental Dataset (TC PRIMED). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 104, E1980–E1998, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0052.1.
- Slocum, C. J., M. N. Razin, J. A. Knaff, and S. P. Stow, : Does ERA5 mark a new era for resolving the tropical cyclone environment? J. Climate, 35, 3547–3564, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0127.1.
For detailed documentation on the dataset, see the dataset documentation PDF file
Tropical Cyclone Precipitation, Infrared, Microwave, and Environmental Dataset (TC PRIMED) Dataset Documentation for Version v01r01.
Tropical Cyclone Characteristics
TC PRIMED uses the NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Typhoon Warning Center Naval Research Laboratory Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecast (ATCF) system best-track database information to capture tropical cyclone characteristics. The final version of TC PRIMED uses the final best-tracks, which are releasesd several months after the conclusion of the tropical cyclone season. The preliminary version of TC PRIMED uses the operational best-tracks. The agency best-track database files are available at:
- NOAA National Hurricane Center/Central Pacific Hurricane Center at
https://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/atcf/ - DOD Joint Typhoon Warning Center at
https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html?best-tracks
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| Ocean Basin | The ocean basin in which the tropical cyclone is located.
|
| Annual Number | Assigned once a system develops into a tropical or subtropical cyclone. |
| Season | The calendar year for the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere, the year begins July 1, with calendar year plus one. |
| Position | The latitude and longitude location of the tropical cyclone. |
| Intensity and Central Pressure | The one-minute maximum-sustained average wind speed and the minimum central pressure. |
| Development Level | A subjective description of the current level of storm organization.
|
Note: While the best-track files contain other storm characteristics descriptors like the radius of maximum sustained wind, TC PRIMED opts to avoid these storm characteristics because the quantities have not been historically quality controlled in a post-season analysis.
Low-Earth Orbiter Products
The following table lists the GPM Constellation sensors (instrument) and satellites (platform) in TC PRIMED. The links go to the WMO's OSCAR (Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool).
| Instrument | Platform |
|---|---|
| AMSR-2 | GCOM-W1 |
| AMSR-E | Aqua |
| AMSU-B | NOAA-16 |
| NOAA-17 | |
| ATMS | Suomi-NPP |
| NOAA-20 | |
| NOAA-21 | |
| GMI | GPM |
| MHS | MetOp-A |
| MetOp-B | |
| MetOp-C | |
| NOAA-18 | |
| NOAA-19 | |
| SSM/I | DMSP-F08 |
| DMSP-F10 | |
| DMSP-F11 | |
| DMSP-F13 | |
| DMSP-F14 | |
| DMSP-F15 | |
| SSMIS | DMSP-F16 |
| DMSP-F17 | |
| DMSP-F18 | |
| DMSP-F19 | |
| TMI | TRMM |
Users can browse and download the raw, non-tropical-cyclone-centric NASA files from https://arthurhou.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/. While TC PRIMED compiles the latest versions of the NASA products, users should be aware of the nuances of the different versions. Documentations on how specific versions differ from prior versions are presented here: https://arthurhou.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/atbd.html.
From the sensors and satellites listed above, the following products are available:
- Multi-agency inter-calibrated, multi-channel microwave brightness temperatures (NASA Level 1C)
- Retrieved precipitation from the NASA Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF; NASA Level 2A)
- GPM DPR-GMI and TRMM PR-TMI Combined Radar-Radiometer Product (NASA Level 2B)
Multi-agency inter-calibrated, multi-channel microwave brightness temperatures (NASA Level 1C)
The passive microwave brightness temperature observations in TC PRIMED come from NASA's inter-calibrated microwave brightness temperature product. Using the inter-calibrated microwave brightness temperatures ensures long-term consistency such that the differences in the observed brightness temperatures of a particular scene between different GPM Constellation sensors are due mainly to the differences in the sensor characteristics (e.g., different instantaneous fields-of-view) or the observing frequency (e.g., 85.5 GHz vs 89.0 GHz).
NASA conducts this intercalibration using the GMI sensor aboard the GPM Core Observatory as the reference standard, radiative transfer models, and multiple nearly-coincident views of various scenes between the GMI sensor and other Constellation sensors. Berg et al. (2016) offers a more in-depth discussion on the inter-calibration process, while the algorithm theoretical basis document (NASA GSFC and GPM Intercalibration Working Group 2022) provides a more technical description of the algorithm implementation.
Since the GMI sensor does not make observations at certain frequencies that are available on other sensors (i.e., 50–60 GHz from the SSMIS), inter-calibration is not possible for those observing frequencies. Presently, TC PRIMED does not include uncalibrated passive microwave brightness temperatures. The sensor- and satellite-dependent DOI for the inter-calibrated passive microwave data is:
10.5067/GPM/[sensor]/[satellite]/1C/[version]
Berg, W., and Coauthors, : Intercalibration of the GPM microwave radiometer constellation. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 33, 2639–2654, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-16-0100.1.
NASA GSFC and GPM Intercalibration Working Group, : Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document Version 1.9: NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Level 1C Algorithms. NASA GSFC. [Available at https://arthurhou.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/Documents/L1C_ATBD_v1.9_GPMV07.pdf.]
NASA Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF; NASA Level 2A)
Since the observations in the various passive microwave frequencies detect different aspects of the atmosphere (e.g., presence of liquid or frozen precipitation), NASA uses them to generate precipitation retrievals in the form of the Goddard PROFiling Algorithm (GPROF; Kummerow et al. 2015). GPROF uses a Bayesian averaging method to weight the observed passive microwave brightness temperatures with an a-priori database of passive microwave brightness temperatures and precipitation information. This a-prior data database comes from one year of global GPM observations — excluding observations over snow-covered surfaces — with the precipitation information coming from the GPM combined radar-radiometer algorithm averaged to the GMI footprint. For computational efficiency, GPROF separates the a-priori data based on surface types, total column water vapor, and 2-m temperature. To simulate the brightness temperature observations of the different constellation sensors, GPROF uses a radiative transfer model, producing a unique a-priori database for each sensor. The preliminary version of TC PRIMED uses the Level 2A version of GPROF, while the final version of TC PRIMED uses the Level 2A-CLIM version of GPROF. The Level 2A-CLIM version of GPROF differs from the Level 2A data in that it uses ancillary data that are available approximately three months after the satellite observation was made. A more technical description of the algorithm implementation is found in the algorithm theoretical basis document (Passive Microwave Algorithm Team Facility 2022). The sensor- and satellite-dependent DOI for the GPROF data is:
10.5067/GPM/[sensor]/[satellite]/GPROFCLIM/2A/[version]
Kummerow, C. D., D. L. Randel, M. Kulie, N.-Y.Wang, R. Ferraro, S. J. Munchak, and V. Petkovic, : The evolution of the Goddard profiling algorithm to a fully parametric scheme. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 32, 165–176, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0039.1.
Passive Microwave Algorithm Team Facility, : Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document: NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) GPROF2021 Version 1. NASA. [Available at https://gpm.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/ATBD_GPM_V7_GPROF.pdf].
GPM DPR-GMI and TRMM PR-TMI Combined Radar-Radiometer Product (NASA Level 2B)
The combined radar-radiometer algorithm contains precipitation profiles that best match both the precipitation radar and passive microwave observations. The GPM DPR-GMI Combined product is the foundation of the a-priori database used for GPROF. However, while the precipitation profiles in this product uses a combination of the precipitation radar and passive microwave radiometer observations, direct observations such as the radar reflectivity and the precipitation type come solely from the precipitation radar. The DOI for the combined radar-radiometer product for the TRMM and GPM satellites are:
10.5067/GPM/DPRGMI/CMB/2B/[version]
10.5067/GPM/PRTMI/TRMM/2B/[version]
Olson, W. S. and GPM Combined Radar-Radiometer Algorithm Team, : GPM Combined Radar-Radiometer Precipitation Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (Version 7). NASA. [Available at https://gpm.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/Combined_algorithm_ATBD.V07_0.pdf.]
Multi-agency Geostationary Satellite Infrared Brightness Temperatures (NOAA/STAR TC IRAR)
Geostationary satellite infrared brightness temperatures in TC PRIMED come from two sources:
- the STAR/CIRA Tropical Cyclone IR Archive and
- the HURSAT IR Archive.
NOAA STAR/CIRA Tropical Cyclone IR Archive
The STAR/CIRA Tropical Cyclone IR archive contains infrared observations of global tropical cyclones starting from 2005. However, it contains observations of all Atlantic tropical cyclones in GOES-East or GOES-West views going back to 1982, and East Pacific tropical cyclones back to about 1987. The spatial resolution of the STAR/CIRA infrared data is 4 km. The temporal resolution is based on the availability from the geostationary satellites over the years and the location of the tropical cyclones. For instance, GMS/MTSAT data were typically half-hourly in the Northern Hemisphere, affecting West Pacific tropical cyclones, but hourly in the Southern Hemisphere. Whereas Meteosat-7 data were half-hourly in both hemispheres of the Indian Ocean. Meteosat-8–11 has a 15-minute resolution. The availability of GOES-East and GOES-West data depended more on storm location; that is, whether the storm is in the CONUS (15-minute), Northern Hemisphere (1/2h) sectors, and whether rapid scan collection was occurring. Even then not all images are collected or pass quality control — resulting in varying time resolution. The following table lists the satellites from the STAR/CIRA archive included in TC PRIMED and their observation central wavelengths. The links go to the WMO's OSCAR (Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool.
| Platform | Instrument | Central Wavelength (μm) |
|---|---|---|
| EWS-G1 (GOES-13) | IMAGER | 10.7 |
| FY-2C | S-VISSR | 11.2 |
| GEO-KOMPSAT-2A | AMI | 10.3 |
| GMS | VISSR | 11.2 |
| GMS-4 | ||
| GMS-5 | VISSR | 11.2 |
| GOES-6 | VISSR | 11.2 |
| GOES-7 | ||
| GOES-8 | IMAGER | 10.7 |
| GOES-9 | ||
| GOES-10 | ||
| GOES-11 | ||
| GOES-12 | IMAGER | 10.7 |
| GOES-13 | ||
| GOES-14 | ||
| GOES-15 | ||
| GOES-16 | ABI | 10.3 |
| GOES-17 | ||
| GOES-18 | ||
| GOES-19 | ||
| Himawari-8 | AHI | 10.4, 11.2 |
| Himawari-9 | 10.4 | |
| Meteosat-5 | MVIRI | 11.5 |
| Meteosat-7 | 11.2 | |
| Meteosat-8 (MSG-1) | SEVIRI | 10.8, 13.4 |
| Meteosat-9 (MSG-2) | 10.8 | |
| Meteosat-10 (MSG-3) | ||
| Meteosat-11 (MSG-4) | ||
| MTSAT-1R | JAMI | 10.8 |
| MTSAT-2 | IMAGER | 10.8 |
Note that infrared observations from polar orbiters may sometimes be used to fill in data gaps in the geostationary observations.
NOAA/NCEI HURSAT IR Archive
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) collected the HURSAT data as part of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP; Knapp and Kossin 2007). The HURSAT infrared data has a spatial resolution of 8 km and a temporal resolution of 3 hours. However, data gaps may exist due to bad data or data loss. The current version of HURSAT spans from 1978 to 2015. Users can browse and download HURSAT data from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/hurricane-satellite-data?name=summary. The following table lists the satellites from the HURSAT archive included in TC PRIMED and their observation wavelength range.
| Platform | Instrument | Wavelength Range (μm) |
|---|---|---|
| GMS-3 | VISSR | 10.3 – 12.6, 10.2 – 11.2 |
| GMS-4 | 10.3 – 11.3 | |
| GMS-5 | VISSR | 10.2 – 11.4 |
| GOES-6 | VISSR | 10.4 – 12.1 |
| GOES-7 | 10.3 – 12.1 | |
| GOES-8 | IMAGER | 10.2 – 11.2 |
| GOES-9 | 10.2 – 11.2 | |
| GOES-10 | 10.3 – 11.0 | |
| GOES-12 | IMAGER | 10.2 – 11.2 |
| Meteosat-2 | MVIRI | 10.7 – 12.1 |
| Meteosat-3 | 10.6 – 12.3 | |
| Meteosat-4 | 10.7 – 11.9 | |
| Meteosat-5 | 10.6 – 11.8 | |
| Meteosat-6 | 10.7 – 12.0 | |
| Meteosat-7 | 10.6 – 12.5 | |
| Meteosat-8 (MSG-1) | SEVIRI | 10.6 – 12.5 |
Knapp, K. R., J. P. Kossin, : New global tropical cyclone data set from ISCCP B1 geostationary satellite observations. J. Appl. Remote Sens., 1, 013505, https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2712816.
ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis fields and derived environmental diagnostics
Tropical cyclone environmental information in TC PRIMED comes from the fifth-generation ECMWF reanalysis products (ERA5; Hersbach et al. 2020). ERA5 contains hourly analyzed fields at 0.25-degree horizontal grid spacing on single-level and pressure-level surfaces (Hersbach et al. 2018a,b). TC PRIMED uses a subset of single- and pressure-level fields at each synoptic time (0000, 0600, 1200, 1800 UTC) and within a 20- x 20-degree box centered on the tropical cyclone. The vertical resolution of the ERA5 fields in TC PRIMED includes the surface level, the 1000- to 50-hPa levels at every 50 hPa, and the 975-, 925-, and 70-hPa levels.
The most commonly used environmental diagnostics are the diagnostics calculated for the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS). One version of SHIPS, the SHIPS Developmental Dataset, uses analyzed fields from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and the Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses for its calculation. Another version is SHIPS model diagnostics (McNoldy et al. 2010) that are routinely displayed on the RAMMB TC Realtime website on a per storm basis from operational models.
TC PRIMED uses the ERA5 fields to calculate the environmental diagnostics. For specific details on the diagnostics calculation, and the differences between the ERA5-derived environmental diagnostics and the SHIPS Developmental Dataset diagnostics, we refer readers to Slocum et al. (2022). Users can browse and download the full suite of ERA5 data from https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/.
TC PRIMED environmental information is generated using and contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2022). Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.
Hersbach, H., and Coauthors, : ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1979 to present. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS). https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6.
Hersbach, H., and Coauthors, : ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1979 to present. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS). https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47.
Hersbach, H., and Coauthors, : The ERA5 global reanalysis. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 144, 1999–2049, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3803.
McNoldy, B. D., M. DeMaria, V. Tallapragada, and T. Marchok, : HWRF performance diagnostics from the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. Preprints, 29th Conf. on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, Tucson, AZ, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 5 pp., [Available online at https://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/167993.pdf.]
Slocum, C. J., M. N. Razin, J. A. Knaff, and S. P. Stow, : Does ERA5 mark a new era for resolving the tropical cyclone environment? J. Climate., 35, 3547–3564, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0127.1.