Earth ID: 11154

TRMM at 15: The Reign of Rain

Released on November 27, 2012

When it rains it pours, goes the saying, and for the last 15 years, the data on tropical rainfall have poured in. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was launched on Nov. 27, 1997, and for the last decade and a half has enabled precipitation science that has had far reaching applications across the globe. Rain is one of the most important natural processes on Earth, and nowhere does it rain more than across the tropics. Orbiting at an angle to the equator that covers 35 degrees north to 35 degrees south of the equator, TRMM carries five instruments that collectively measure the intensity of rainfall, characteristics of the water vapor and clouds, and lightning associated with the rain events. One of the instruments, the Precipitation Radar, built by NASA's mission partner the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is the first precipitation radar flown in space. It returns images of storms that for the first time have revealed close up three-dimensional views of how rainbands in tropical cyclones develop, potentially indicating how strong the storms might become.

For More Information

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/trmm-15.html

Credits

Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Animator
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Alex Kekesi (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Animator
Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Walt Feimer (HTSI): Animator
Chris Meaney (HTSI): Animator
Ryan Fitzgibbons (USRA): Video Editor
Scott Braun (NASA/GSFC): Interviewee
Ellen T. Gray (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Narrator
Ryan Fitzgibbons (USRA): Producer
Scott Braun (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Dalia B Kirschbaum (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Arthur Hou Ph.D. (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Rob Andreoli (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.): Videographer
Ryan Fitzgibbons (USRA): Videographer
Ryan Fitzgibbons (USRA): Writer
Ellen T. Gray (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Writer
Aries Keck (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11154

Mission:
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission - TRMM

Data Used:

TRMM

view all stories where this data set is used

Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

This item is part of this series:
Narrated Movies

Goddard TV Tape:
G2012-119 -- TRMM at 15

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
DLESE >> Natural hazards
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Precipitation
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Atmospheric Phenomena >> Cyclones
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Atmospheric Phenomena >> Hurricanes
DLESE >> Narrated
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0