AMSR Data Catalog: Atmosphere #8211; AMSR web at JAXA Earth Observation Research Center (EORC)

Data Catalog
Atmosphere
Total Precipitable Water over Ocean

Total Precipitable Water over Ocean
(Standard Product)

Amount of vertically accumulated water vapor (H2O in gaseous state) in the atmosphere, and defined as amount of water per unit area. Coverage of the product is divided into ocean only and land only, and unit is [kg/m²]. Total precipitable water is one of essential hydrological parameters describing state of the atmosphere along with precipitation and cloud liquid water.

Total Precipitable Water
Ascending
Total Precipitable Water
Descending

Product Overview

Product Name		Total Precipitable Water DOI
Product Type		Standard Product
Processing Level		L2 (Swath data ^*2) and L3 (Grid data: EQR)
Product ID		TPW
Spec. ^*1	Satellite	AMSR3	AMSR2	AMSR-E
	Area	Global over ocean, Global over land	Global over ocean
	Spatial Resolution	approx. 15 km	approx. 15 km
	Accuracy Requirement	Total Precipitable Water over Ocean: ±3.5 kg/m² Total Precipitable Water over Land: ±6.5 kg/m²	±3.5 kg/m² ^*3
	Range	0 〜 70 kg/m²	0 〜 70 kg/m²
Latest Version		AMSR3: ver. 0.0 2025-??-?? release	AMSR2: ver. 2.2 2021-06-16 release	AMSR-E: ver.8 2019-07-05 release
Product Period		AMSR3: ??? 2025 〜	AMSR2: July 2012 〜	AMSR-E: July 2002 〜 October 2011
Data Download		Globe Portal System (G-Portal)
Data Format		NetCDF AMSR3 Higher Level Format ???KB HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format 2.7MB AMSR-E Level2 Format description 757KB AMSR-E Level3 Format description 1.03MB
Stored Data		AMSR3:Total Precipitable Water over Ocean[kg/m²], Total Precipitable Water over Land[kg/m²] AMSR2: Total Precipitable Water [kg/m²]
Data Quality Flag		AMSR3 L2 TPW Quality Flag ???KB AMSR2 L2 TPW Quality Flag 258KB
Algorithm Version		AMSR3 v0.0 (Algorithm Description, ??MB PDF page ? ) AMSR2 v2.2 (Algorithm Description, 3.9MB PDF page 9 )
Validation Result		GOSAT-GW･AMSR3 Standard Product ??MB PDF page ? AMSR2 L2 Product 12MB PDF page 3

The specifications are defined in the AMSR3 Mission Requirement and AMSR2 Mission Requirement. The required accuracy is the standard accuracy of standard product defined in the mission requirement.
Swath data is a format in which data for each footprint is stored in a two-dimensional array (observation points in scanning direction x number of scanning lines) in order of observation time.
Vertically integrated (columnar) water vapor amount. Except sea ice and precipitating areas.

Reference

Kazumori, M., T. Egawa and K. Yoshimoto 2012: A retrieval algorithm of atmospheric water vapor and cloud liquid water for AMSR-E. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 45, 63 – 74. doi: 10.5721/EuJRS20124507.

Takeuchi, Y., T. Tauchi, S. Saito, K. Imaoka, M. Kachi, and A. Shibata 2004: A total column precipitable water algorithm for ADEOS-II/AMSR and Aqua/AMSR-E. Italian Journal of Remote Sensing 30/31, 143 –157.

Takeuchi, Y. 2002: Algorithm theoretical basis document (ATBD) of the algorithm to derive total water vapor content from ADEOS-II/AMSR. EORC Bulletin/Technical Report.

Revision History

June 16, 2021

AMSR2 Standard Product TPW ver. 2.2

Release note

312KB

July 5, 2019

AMSR-E Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 8 release (HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format)

Reprocessing by applying the AMSR2 algorithm

Extension of swath width from 196 points to 243 points

Compliant with AMSR2 HDF5 format

March 26, 2015

AMSR2 Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 2.0/2.1

AMSR2 L2 Product

12MB PDF page 3

Back Number

▸

July 9, 2013

AMSR2 Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 1.0

AMSR2 L2 Product

3.7MB PDF page 9

September 29, 2011

AMSR-E Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 7 release

March 15, 2006

AMSR-E Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 4 release

March 1, 2005

AMSR-E Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 3 release

September 19, 2003

AMSR-E Standard Product Total Precipitable Water ver. 1 release

Data Catalog
Atmosphere
Total Precipitable Water over Land

Total Precipitable Water over Land
(Research Product)

Amount of vertically accumulated water vapor (H2O in gaseous state) in the atmosphere, and defined as amount of water per unit area. Coverage of the product is over the land only, and unit is [kg/m²]. Total precipitable water is one of essential hydrological parameters describing state of the atmosphere along with precipitation and cloud liquid water.

Feature of "Total Precipitable Water over Land (PWL)"

AMSR2 Total Precipitable Water (TPW) standard product only estimate parameter over the ocean. It estimates total precipitable water over ocean by using near 23 GHz water vapor absorption and 18 and 36 GHz window channels since ocean surface emissivity can be described accurately and brightness temperature of sea surface is relatively cold and can be distinguished from signals by atmospheric water vapor. On the other hand, land surface is not homogeneous, and its emissivity varies depending on the environment and seasons. Therefore, separation of signals by land surface and those by atmospheric water vapor is a challenge.

Validation method

Validation of PWL product uses global radiosonde network and ground-based GPS receivers, same as that for TPW standard product. Estimated values from the AMSR2 PWL product is compared to match-up observations by radiosonde and GPS receivers and root mean square error (RMSE) between them is calculated.

PWL (Research product)

July 1, 2018 Ascending

TPW (Standard product)

July 1, 2018 Ascending

Product Overview

Product Name		Total Precipitable Water over Land
Product Type		Research Product
Processing Level		L2 (Swath data ^*2) and L3 (Grid data: EQR)
Product ID		PWL
Spec. ^*1	Area	Global over land (except for vegetation areas and snow/ice areas)
	Spatial Resolution	approx. 15 km
	Accuracy Requirement	±6.5 kg/m² ^*3
	Range	0 〜 70 kg/m²
Latest Version		AMSR2: ver. 1.0 2019-01-24 release
Product Period		AMSR2: July 2012 〜
Data Download		AMSR Research Product Distribution Service
Data Format		HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format 2.7MB
Stored Data		Total Precipitable Water [kg/m²]
Data Quality Flag		L2 PWL Quality Flag 247KB
Algorithm Version		v1.0 (Kazumori,M et al.,2018)
Validation Result		Total Precipitable Water over Land (PWL) Validation Results 1.1MB

The specifications are defined in the AMSR2 Mission Requirement. The required accuracy is the goal accuracy of research product defined in the mission requirement.
Swath data is a format in which data for each footprint is stored in a two-dimensional array (observation points in scanning direction x number of scanning lines) in order of observation time.
Vertically integrated (columnar) water vapor amount.

Reference

Kazumori and M. Kachi, 2018: Precipitable Water Vapor Retrieval over Land from GCOM-W/AMSR2. Trans. JSASS Aerospace Tech. Japan, 16, 143-146. doi: 10.2322/tastj.16.143

Revision History

January 24, 2019

AMSR2 Research Product Total Precipitable Water over Lang (PWL) ver. 1.0

Total Precipitable Water over Land (PWL) Validation Results

1.1MB

Data Catalog
Atmosphere
Cloud Liquid Water Content

Cloud Liquid Water Content
(Standard Product)

Amount of vertically accumulated cloud droplet in the atmosphere, and defined as amount of water per unit area. Coverage of the product is over the ocean only, and unit is [kg/m²]. Cloud liquid water is one of essential hydrological parameters describing state of the atmosphere along with precipitation and total precipitable water.

Cloud Liquid Water Content
Ascending
Cloud Liquid Water Content
Descending

Product Overview

Product Name		Cloud Liquid Water Content DOI
Product Type		Standard Product
Processing Level		L2 (Swath data ^*2) and L3 (Grid data: EQR)
Product ID		CLW
Spec. ^*1	Satellite	AMSR3	AMSR2
	Area	Global over ocean	Global over ocean
	Spatial Resolution	approx. 15 km	approx. 15 km
	Accuracy Requirement	±0.05 kg/m² ^*3	±0.05 kg/m² ^*3
	Range	0 〜 1.0 kg/m²	0 〜 1.0 kg/m²
Latest Version		AMSR3: ver. 0.0 2025-??-?? release AMSR2: ver. 2.2 2021-06-16 release AMSR-E: ver.8 2019-07-05release
Product Period		AMSR3: ??? 2025 〜 AMSR2: July 2012 〜 AMSR-E: July 2002 〜 October 2011
Data Download		Globe Portal System (G-Portal)
Data Format		NetCDF AMSR3 Higher Level Format ???KB HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format 2.7MB AMSR-E Level2 Format description 757KB AMSR-E Level3 Format description 1.03MB
Stored Data		Cloud Liquid Water Content [kg/m²]
Data Quality Flag		AMSR3 L2 CLW Quality Flag ??KB AMSR2 L2 CLW Quality Flag 259KB
Algorithm Version		AMSR3 v0.0 (Algorithm Description, ??MB PDF page ? ) AMSR2 v2.2 (Algorithm Description, 3.9MB PDF page 9 )
Validation Result		GOSAT-GW･AMSR3 Standard Product ??MB PDF page ? AMSR2 L2 Product 12MB PDF page 9

The specifications are defined in the AMSR3 Mission Requirement and AMSR2 Mission Requirement. The required accuracy is the standard accuracy of standard product defined in the mission requirement.
Swath data is a format in which data for each footprint is stored in a two-dimensional array (observation points in scanning direction x number of scanning lines) in order of observation time.
Vertically integrated (columnar) cloud liquid water. Except sea ice and precipitating areas.

Reference

Kazumori, M., T. Egawa and K. Yoshimoto 2012: A retrieval algorithm of atmospheric water vapor and cloud liquid water for AMSR-E. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 45, 63 – 74. doi: 10.5721/EuJRS20124507.

Takeuchi, Y., T. Tauchi, S. Saito, K. Imaoka, M. Kachi, and A. Shibata 2004: A total column precipitable water algorithm for ADEOS-II/AMSR and Aqua/AMSR-E. Italian Journal of Remote Sensing 30/31, 143 –157.

Takeuchi, Y. 2002: Algorithm theoretical basis document (ATBD) of the algorithm to derive total water vapor content from ADEOS-II/AMSR. EORC Bulletin/Technical Report.

Revision History

June 16, 2021

AMSR2 Standard Product CLW ver. 2.2

Release note

312KB

July 5, 2019

AMSR-E Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 8 release (HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format)

Reprocessing by applying the AMSR2 algorithm

Extension of swath width from 196 points to 243 points

Compliant with AMSR2 HDF5 format

March 26, 2015

AMSR2 Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 2.0/2.1

AMSR2 L2 Product

12MB PDF page 9

Back Number

▸

July 9, 2013

AMSR2 Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 1.0

AMSR2 L2 Product

3.7MB PDF page 13

March 15, 2006

AMSR-E Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 4 release

March 1, 2005

AMSR-E Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 3 release

March 12, 2004

AMSR-E Standard Product Cloud Liquid Water Content ver. 2 release

Data Catalog
Atmosphere
Precipitation

Precipitation
(Standard Product)

Although "precipitation" is usually defined as amount of water, which reaches the surface of the earth from atmosphere as rain and/or snow, microwave imager's precipitation products provide amount of rain (surface rainfall). Coverage of the product is global, and unit is [mm/hr]. Accuracy of rainfall estimate over land, however, tends to be lower than that over the ocean. Method of rainfall estimate used in precipitation product is also applied to "Global Rainfall Watch" system, which distributes global rainfall map in near-real-time.

Precipitation
Ascending
Precipitation
Descending

Snow precipitate
Ascending
Snow precipitate
Descending

Product Overview

Product Name		Precipitation DOI
Product Type		Standard Product
Processing Level		L2 (Swath data ^*2) and L3 (Grid data: EQR)
Product ID		PRC
Spec. ^*1	Satellite	AMSR3	AMSR2	AMSR2
	Area	Global	Tropics 〜 Temperate Zone	Tropics 〜 Temperate Zone
	Spatial Resolution	approx. 15 km	approx. 15 km	approx. 15 km
	Accuracy Requirement	Precipitation: Ocean ±50 %, Land ±120 % Snow precipitate: Ocean ±130 %, Land ±200 %	Ocean ±50 %, Land ±120 % ^*3	Ocean ±50 %, Land ±120 % ^*3
	Range	Precipitation: 0 〜 20 mm/h Snow precipitate: 0 〜 4 mm/h	0 〜 20 mm/h	0 〜 20 mm/h
Latest Version		AMSR3: ver. 0.0 2025-??-?? release	AMSR2: ver. 3.1 2023-07-12 release	AMSR-E: ver.8 2019-07-05 release
Product Period		AMSR3: ??? 2025 〜	AMSR2: July 2012 〜	AMSR-E: July 2002 〜 October 2011
Data Download		Globe Portal System (G-Portal)
Data Format		NetCDF AMSR3 Higher Level Format ???KB	HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format 2.7MB	AMSR-E Level2 Format description 757KB AMSR-E Level3 Format description 1.03MB
Stored Data		AMSR3: (1)Precipitation[mm/h], (2)Snow precipitate[mm/h]	AMSR2: (1)Precipitation [mm/h]
Data Quality Flag		AMSR3 L2 PRC Quality Flag ??KB , AMSR3 Snow precipitate Quality Flag ???KB	AMSR2 L2 PRC Quality Flag 251KB
Algorithm Version		AMSR3 v0.0 (Algorithm Description, ??MB PDF page ? )	AMSR2 v3 (Algorithm Description, 3.9MB PDF page 20 )
Validation Result		GOSAT-GW･AMSR3 Standard Product ??MB PDF page ?	Update of AMSR2 Precipitation standard product to Ver3.0 895KB

The specifications are defined in the AMSR3 Mission Requirement and AMSR2 Mission Requirement. The required accuracy is the standard accuracy of standard product defined in the mission requirement.
Swath data is a format in which data for each footprint is stored in a two-dimensional array (observation points in scanning direction x number of scanning lines) in order of observation time.
Surface precipitation rate. Accuracy is defined as relative error (ratio of root-mean-square error to average precipitation rate) in 50km grid average.

Reference

Aonashi, K., and R. R. Ferraro, 2020: Microwave sensors, imagers and sounders. Satellite Precipitation Measurement, V. Levizzani et al., Eds., Advances in Global Change Research, Vol. 1, Springer, 63–81. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-24568-9_4

Aonashi, K. J. Awaka, M. Hirose, T. Kozu, T. Kubota, G. Liu S. Shige, S. Kida, S. Seto, N. Takahashi, and Y. N. Takayabu 2009: GSMaP Passive Microwave Precipitation Retrieval Algorithm: Algorithm Description and Validation., J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 87A, 119-136. doi: 10.2151/jmsj.87A.119

Aonashi, K. and G. Liu, 2000: Passive Microwave Precipitation Retrievals using TMI during the Baiu period of 1998. Part 1: Algorithm description and Validation., J. Appl. Meteor. 39, 2024-2037. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26184392

Revision History

July 12, 2023

AMSR2 Standard Product Precipitation ver. 3.1 release

Corresponding to format change of the NOAA Autosnow data

October 25, 2022

AMSR2 Standard Product Precipitation ver. 3 release

Estimation above 60 degrees latitudes using NOAA Autosnow data.

Algorithm improvements based on the relationship between the scattering bias of GSMaP algorithm and precipitation characteristics observed by the DPR.

Update of AMSR2 Precipitation standard product to Ver3.0

895KB, PDF

July 5, 2019

AMSR-E Standard Product Precipitation ver. 8 release (HDF5 AMSR2 Higher Level Format)

Reprocessing by applying the AMSR2 algorithm

Extension of swath width from 196 points to 243 points

Compliant with AMSR2 HDF5 format

Back Number

▸

March 26, 2015

AMSR2 Standard Product Precipitation ver. 2.0/2.1

AMSR2 L2 Product

12MB PDF page 15

July 9, 2013

AMSR2 Standard Product Precipitation ver. 1.0

AMSR2 L2 Product

3.7MB PDF page 16

March 15, 2006

AMSR-E Standard Product Precipitation ver. 4 release

March 1, 2005

AMSR-E Standard Product Precipitation ver. 3 release

March 12, 2004

AMSR-E Standard Product Precipitation ver. 2 release

September 19, 2003

AMSR-E Standard Product Precipitation ver. 1 release

Total Precipitable Water over Ocean (Standard Product)

Product Overview

Reference

Revision History

Total Precipitable Water over Land (Research Product)

Feature of "Total Precipitable Water over Land (PWL)"

Validation method

Product Overview

Reference

Revision History

Cloud Liquid Water Content (Standard Product)

Product Overview

Reference

Revision History

Precipitation (Standard Product)

Product Overview

Reference

Revision History

Total Precipitable Water over Ocean
(Standard Product)

Total Precipitable Water over Land
(Research Product)

Cloud Liquid Water Content
(Standard Product)

Precipitation
(Standard Product)