NASA | A Week in the Life of Rain

The video explores global precipitation patterns using satellite data, highlighting daily and seasonal changes, equatorial convection, and the impact of hurricanes and cyclones. It discusses the 2014 hurricane season, Pacific cyclones, and monsoon rains in Asia, emphasizing the importance of understanding precipitation for disaster management. The video also examines the Southern Ocean's precipitation, offering insights into global weather systems.

What can satellites help us understand about precipitation on a global scale?

• Only precipitation in the Southern Hemisphere

• Daily and seasonal precipitation patterns

• Precipitation in urban areas only

• Only local weather patterns

What is a characteristic feature of daily rainstorms near the equator?

• They are always accompanied by hurricanes

• They are unpredictable

• They have a daily pulse in convection

• They occur only in the morning

What is the significance of squaw lines in weather patterns?

• They can be precursors to hurricanes

• They only occur in the winter

• They are unrelated to hurricanes

• They are short-lived and insignificant

What was notable about the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season?

• It had no impact on Europe

• It was the most active season on record

• It was relatively quiet but had unexpected impacts

• It only affected the United States

Why is it important to track tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean?

• To study marine life

• To make evacuation decisions as they approach land

• To understand ocean currents

• To predict earthquakes

What challenge does the Southern Ocean present in studying precipitation?

• It is densely populated

• It has unpredictable weather

• It has almost no land and few ships

• It is too warm for snow

How does the GPM mission contribute to understanding global precipitation?

• By only measuring snowfall

• By ignoring high latitude regions

• By providing near real-time data on precipitation

• By focusing only on tropical regions