NASA | TRMM Mission Ends

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), launched in 1997, has significantly advanced scientific research in areas such as agriculture, disease tracking, and natural hazards by providing high-resolution rainfall data. Over nearly two decades, TRMM has offered insights into weather patterns, climate changes, and storm dynamics, including hurricanes. Its unique instruments, like the precipitation radar and microwave imager, have been crucial in understanding storm structures. As TRMM's mission concludes, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission continues its legacy with enhanced instruments and broader coverage, extending beyond the tropics to measure rain and snow globally.

What was one of the primary purposes of the TRMM satellite launched in 1997?

• To precisely measure falling rain in the tropics

• To track animal migrations

• To measure ocean temperatures

• To monitor volcanic activity

How has TRMM data been used in relation to natural hazards?

• As an early warning system for floods and landslides

• To predict earthquakes

• To monitor forest fires

• To track desertification

What significant weather phenomenon's impact on rain patterns has TRMM helped to understand?

• Monsoons

• El Niño

• La Niña

• Tornadoes

What unique instrument did TRMM have that was the first of its kind in space?

• Thermal camera

• Solar panel

• Wind speed sensor

• Precipitation radar

What is one of the advancements of the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission compared to TRMM?

• It focuses solely on snow

• It extends coverage beyond the tropics

• It has a smaller orbit

• It measures only light rain