Ji et al. (2026) Estimating Uncertainty of PMW‐Based Convective Fraction Product

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-15
• Authors: Lei Ji, Veljko Petković, Marko Orescanin
• DOI: 10.1029/2026jd046377

Research Groups

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• University of Colorado Boulder
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Short Summary

This study investigates the uncertainties in convective volume fraction derived from satellite passive microwave observations, revealing distinct bias patterns between ocean and land surfaces. The research provides environment-dependent uncertainty estimates for operational PMW algorithm refinement.

Objective

• Investigate the uncertainties in Convective Volume Fraction (CVF) derived from satellite passive microwave observations

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on tropical regions and oceanic "transition zones"
• Temporal Scale: 8 years (2015–2023)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: GMI (Global Microwave Imager) and KuPR (Ku-band Precipitation Radar)
• Data sources: Collocated observations from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission

Main Results

• CVF bias patterns differ between ocean and land surfaces, with GMI underestimating CVF over oceans except in high moisture or elevated temperature conditions, and overestimating over land except in cool, dry environments.
• Uncertainty patterns correlate strongly with ice-phase hydrometeor presence.

Contributions

• This study provides the first systematic characterization of CVF uncertainty using collocated observations from GMI and KuPR.
• The derived environment-dependent uncertainty estimates offer upper bounds for operational PMW algorithm refinement and uncertainty propagation in precipitation-dependent applications.

Funding

• NASA's Precipitation Measurement Mission (PMM) program
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• NOAA's Climate Program Office

Citation

@article{Ji2026Estimating,
  author = {Ji, Lei and Petković, Veljko and Orescanin, Marko},
  title = {Estimating Uncertainty of PMW‐Based Convective Fraction Product},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026jd046377},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd046377}
}