Visualizations by
Kel Elkins
Released on November 19, 2015
GPM scanned this storm structure over the western coast of India on July 28th, 2014 at 03:58 UTC. The most intense sections of the storm with the heaviest rainfall are shown in dark red. Three days later, on July 31st, a deadly landslide occurred in the same region.
Scientists are currently studying heavy precipitation events such as this one in order to better predict landslides in the future.
The GPM Core Observatory carries two instruments that show the location and intensity of rain and snow, which defines a crucial part of the storm structure – and how it will behave. The GPM Microwave Imager sees through the tops of clouds to observe how much and where precipitation occurs, and the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar observes precise details of precipitation in 3-dimensions.