Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on November 14, 2007, that it has started releasing image data related to a high-resolution global precipitation distribution map in quasi real-time (about four hours after observation) on the website listed at the foot of this page. The map is composed by the Earth Observation Research Center (EORC) of the agency based on the data acquired by earth observation satellites, including the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM).

On the website, rainfall rates in millimeters per hour are visualized in quasi real-time for 0.1 degree latitude/longitude grids (around 11 square kilometers near the equator) in the global domain (from 60 degrees south latitude to 60 degrees north latitude). The rates are estimated from the data collected through several satellites for earth observation. The image is updated every hour and is released regularly. This is the first attempt of its kind in Japan. Images from specified dates and times in the past, and animated images of precipitation distribution over the last 24 hours are also available.

The newly developed system contributes to providing quasi real-time information on rain precipitation to areas that lack such information, such as developing countries in Asia, even though they often witness typhoons and torrential rains. The system also enables rain precipitation observation over oceans hit by typhoons, thereby helping to improve the precision of typhoon forecasting.

http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html
http://sharaku.eorc.jaxa.jp/GSMaP/index.htm
- New Aerospace Agency to Monitor Environment from Space (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/468-e

Posted: 2008/03/06 05:17:26 PM

TAG Ecosystem , Global warming , University/Research institute