How is the GPCP organized?

The GPCP is organized as follows.

IR Component

Geostationary Satellite Data Processing Centers (GSDPC) collect infrared data from which precipitation is estimated. There is a center for Meteosat, operated by EUMETSAT, GMS, operated by the Japanese Meteorological Agency and GOES and NOAA polar satellite data operated by the National Weather Service, NOAA.

Geostationary Satellite Precipitation Data Center (GPSPDC) - operated by the National Weather Service, NOAA, collects histograms prepared by the GSDPC and creates a merged set of infrared precipitation estimates.

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/global_precip/html/web.html

Microwave Component

Emission Data Processing Center - prepares oceanic precipitation estimates based on emission from 19 Ghz channel of SSM/I. It is located at The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

Scattering Data Processing Center - prepares land precipitation estimates from the 85 Ghz channel of SSM/I. It is located at the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS), NOAA.

http://cics.umd.edu/SSMI

In Situ Component

The Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) - collects, quality controls and analyzes station data from synoptic reports, climatic summaries and national collections. They will combine satellite and in situ estimates to prepare a global gridded precipitation analysis. The GPCC is located at the Deutscher Wetterdienst, Germany.

http://www.dwd.de/en/FundE/Klima/KLIS/int/GPCC/GPCC.htm

Merge satellite and Gauge Data

The GPCP Merge Development Center (GMDC) is responsible for developing analysis procedures for merging satellite and gauge estimates of precipitation and providing these merged products on a global grid. The GMDC is located at NASA/GSGC:

http://precip.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Calibration/Validation Component- this component is responsible for assuring that satellite estimates are of high quality. This is done through the following:

Surface Reference Data Centre ( SRDC) - acquires time series of high density gauge data from different climatic regions for long term validation of satellite estimates as well as gridded analyses. It is located at the University of Oklahoma at the Environmental Validation and Analysis Center (EVAC).

Algorithm Intercomparison Programme (AIP) - coordinates field campaigns for the validation of satellite algorithms and the development of new algorithms.

New Technology - deals with the development and testing of new oceanic rainfall measuring technology. The GPCP has coordinated the use and testing of optical rain gauges and acoustic techniques for measuring oceanic precipitation.

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