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The global precipitation measurement (GPM) mission is an international satellite mission to obtain accurate observations of precipitation on a global scale every 3 h. Its (GPM) core satellite was launched on 27 February 2014 with two science instruments: the microwave imager and the dual-frequency precipitation radar. Ground validation is an integral part of the GPM mission where instruments are deployed to complement and correlate with spacecraft instruments. The dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R) is a critical ground validation instrument that was developed for the GPM program. This paper describes the salient features of the D3R in the context of the GPM ground validation mission. The engineering and architectural overview of the radar is described, and observations from successful GPM ground validation field experiments are presented.

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The NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radar (D3R) was deployed as part of the GPM Iowa Flood Studies (IFloodS) ground validation field campaign from 1 May through 15 June 2013. The D3R participated in a multi-instrument targeted investigation of convective initiation and hydrological response in the midwestern United States. An overview of the D3R’s calibration and observations is presented. A method for attenuation correction of Ka-band observations using Ku-band results is introduced. Dual-frequency ratio estimates in stratiform rain and ice are presented and compared with theoretical values. Ku-band quantitative precipitation estimation results are validated against IFloodS ground instruments.

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