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GPM GROUND VALIDATION NASA S-BAND DUAL POLARIMETRIC (NPOL) DOPPLER RADAR MC3E

Published by NASA/MSFC/GHRC | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: July 14, 2026 at 10:37 PM | Dataset Last Updated: June 22, 2026
The GPM Ground Validation NASA S-band Dual Polarimetric (NPOL) Doppler Radar MC3E dataset was collected by the NASA NPOL radar, which was developed by a research team from Wallops Flight Facility, is a fully transportable and self-contained S-band (10 cm), scanning dual-polarimetric, doppler research radar that collected data nearly continuously during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) field campaign. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. NPOL scanned in high resolution Range Height Indicator (RHI) mode (every 40 sec) and provided measurements of precipitation in liquid, mixed and ice phase. The scanning strategy emphasized vertical structure sampling via RHI and narrow sector-volume data collections. Additional files were processed from the UF files using the Colorado State University (CSU) Hydrometeor Identification Algorithm (HID) providing classification of hydrometeors (e.g. rain, drizzle, hail, ice crystals, wet or dry snow, graupel density). Data was collected from April 11, 2011 through June 3, 2011.

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Complete Metadata
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accessLevel public
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description The GPM Ground Validation NASA S-band Dual Polarimetric (NPOL) Doppler Radar MC3E dataset was collected by the NASA NPOL radar, which was developed by a research team from Wallops Flight Facility, is a fully transportable and self-contained S-band (10 cm), scanning dual-polarimetric, doppler research radar that collected data nearly continuously during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) field campaign. The overarching goal was to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that had never before been available. NPOL scanned in high resolution Range Height Indicator (RHI) mode (every 40 sec) and provided measurements of precipitation in liquid, mixed and ice phase. The scanning strategy emphasized vertical structure sampling via RHI and narrow sector-volume data collections. Additional files were processed from the UF files using the Colorado State University (CSU) Hydrometeor Identification Algorithm (HID) providing classification of hydrometeors (e.g. rain, drizzle, hail, ice crystals, wet or dry snow, graupel density). Data was collected from April 11, 2011 through June 3, 2011.
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identifier 10.5067/GPMGV/MC3E/NPOL/DATA101
keyword 
[
  "earth-science-precipitation-atmosphere-hydrometeors",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-doppler-velocity",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-radar-imagery",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-radar-reflectivity"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-06-22
programCode 
[
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]
publisher 
{
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spatial 
"["CARTESIAN", [{"WestBoundingCoordinate": -99, "NorthBoundingCoordinate": 38, "EastBoundingCoordinate": -95.5, "SouthBoundingCoordinate": 35}]]"
temporal 2011-04-11/2011-06-03
theme 
[
  "Earth Science"
]
title GPM GROUND VALIDATION NASA S-BAND DUAL POLARIMETRIC (NPOL) DOPPLER RADAR MC3E

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