NOAA CPC Morphing Technique (CMORPH) Global Precipitation Analyses

This technique uses precipitation estimates that have been derived from low orbiter satellite microwave observations exclusively, and whose features are transported via spatial propagation information that is obtained entirely from geostationary satellite infrared data. Precipitation estimates are derived from the passive microwaves aboard the DMSP 13, 14 and 15 (SSM-I), the NOAA-15, 16, 17 and 18 (AMSU-B), and AMSR-E and TMI aboard NASA's Aqua and TRMM spacecraft, respectively.

These estimates are generated by algorithms of Ferraro (1997) for SSM-I, Ferraro et al. (2000) for AMSU-B and Kummerow et al. (2001) for TMI. Note that this technique is not a precipitation estimation algorithm but a means by which estimates from existing microwave rainfall algorithms can be combined. Therefore, this method is extremely flexible such that any precipitation estimates from any microwave satellite source can be incorporated.