Zhang et al. (2026) GPM IMERG V07B and V06B: Evaluation Using Ground‐Based Radar Observations and Application in Global Mesoscale Convective System Tracking

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Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-17
• Authors: Sihan Zhang, Fengfei Song, Zhe Feng, Adam C. Varble, Lai-Yung Ruby Leung
• DOI: 10.1029/2026jd046673

Research Groups

• University of [Unknown], Department of Earth Sciences
• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory

Short Summary

This study evaluates the accuracy of the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) Version 07B in tracking Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and retrieving precipitation rates, comparing it to its predecessor V06B.

Objective

• Investigate the differences in IMERG V07B and V06B performance in tracking MCSs and retrieving heavy-to-intense precipitation over diverse regions and spatiotemporal scales.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 0.1°–0.25°, covering five climatically diverse regions: contiguous United States, central Amazon, mountains of central Argentina, equatorial Indian Ocean, and northern Australia.
• Temporal Scale: 1–3 hours

Methodology and Data

• Models used: IMERG V07B and V06B
• Data sources: Ground-based radar observations from five regions, satellite infrared brightness temperature

Main Results

• IMERG V07B exhibits a pronounced land-ocean contrast in biases, underestimating heavy-to-intense precipitation over most land regions but improving intense precipitation retrieval over the ocean.
• MCSs tracked in V07B have lower mean rain rates and heavy rain volume ratios than those in V06B.

Contributions

• Provides critical context for applying IMERG V07B in extreme precipitation and MCS climatology, and evaluating next-generation convection-permitting models.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number [Unknown] and the NCAR's Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory.

Citation

@article{Zhang2026GPM,
  author = {Zhang, Sihan and Song, Fengfei and Feng, Zhe and Varble, Adam C. and Leung, Lai-Yung Ruby},
  title = {GPM IMERG V07B and V06B: Evaluation Using Ground‐Based Radar Observations and Application in Global Mesoscale Convective System Tracking},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026jd046673},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd046673}
}