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Full catalog/TRMM_3B43
TRMM_3B43·v7·dataset

Monthly rainfall totals across the tropics (TRMM)

TRMM (TMPA/3B43) Rainfall Estimate L3 1 month 0.25 degree x 0.25 degree V7 (TRMM_3B43) at GES DISC
atmosphere NASA GES_DISC Level 3
In plain English

What it measures. Monthly total rainfall across the tropics and subtropics (about 50°N to 50°S), with an estimate of the error in each value.

How it's made. Created by merging microwave and infrared satellite rainfall estimates with rain-gauge data, tuned with the TRMM satellite, into a monthly 0.25° grid.

How & where you'd use it. Used for studying rainfall patterns and climate across the tropics. Note: discontinued at the end of 2019; users are pointed to the successor IMERG dataset.

What's measured

ATMOSPHERE › PRECIPITATION › TOTAL SURFACE PRECIPITATION RATE

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span1998-01-01 → 2019-12-31
  • Measured byTMPA (NOT APPLICABLE)
  • Processing levelLevel 3
  • Spatial extent-180, -50, 180, 50
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

  • Map air pollutants — NO₂, aerosols, ozone
  • Track greenhouse gases and Earth's energy budget
  • Feed weather and air-quality analysis
Official description

TMPA (3B43) dataset have been discontinued as of Dec. 31, 2019, and users are strongly encouraged to shift to the successor IMERG dataset (doi: 10.5067/GPM/IMERG/3B-MONTH/06). The 3B43 dataset is the monthly version of the 3B42 dataset. This product was created using TRMM-adjusted merged microwave-infrared precipitation rate (in mm/hr) and root-mean-square (RMS) precipitation-error estimates. It provides a "best" precipitation estimate in a latitude band covering 50o N to 50o S, an expansion of the TRMM region, from all global data sources, namely high-quality microwave data, infrared data, and analyses of rain gauges. The granule size is one month.

Get the data

trmm_3b43_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="TRMM_3B43",
    version="7",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from GES_DISC
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.