Scientists from the College of the Environment are partnering with NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency to find out if a constellation of precipitation-measuring satellites collects accurate data. The initiative, called OLYMPEX, aims to calibrate and validate rain and snowfall data collected by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GSM). Focusing their efforts on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, the soggiest place in the continental United States and a perfect laboratory for precipitation-related research, the scientists will amass data through a variety of ground- and air-based approaches. From the exact amount of precipitation in different places to determining the height where snow turns into rain and even the size of rain droplets, their findings will help sharpen how we can use high-tech infrastructure—like satellites—to gather a range of hydrologic, weather forecasting, and climate data.
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