Skip to main content
Welcome to GCOS
GCOS Slogan

Main navigation

  • Home
  • About
  • ECV
    • Essential Climate Variables
    • ECV Review
    • About Essential Climate Variables
  • Expert Panels
    • Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate
    • Ocean Observations Physics and Climate Panel
    • Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate
    • Joint Panels Meeting 2019
    • Joint Panels Meeting 2021
  • Cooperation
    • Cooperation Mechanism
    • Regional Workshops
    • National Cooperations
    • CBS Lead Centres for GCOS
  • Indicators
  • News
  • Networks
  • GCOS Goes Green
  • Publications
    • GCOS Implementation Plan 2022
    • GCOS Implementation Plan 2016
    • GCOS Status Report 2021
    • Publications and Outreach
  1. Home
  2. Essential Climate Variables
  3. Precipitation

Download shortened print version of ECV factsheet (pdf) here.


Data Sources

ECV Products and Requirements


Precipitation

Precipitation, either liquid or solid, is the most important climate variable directly affecting humans. Through either its duration, intensity and frequency or its lack of occurrence, it influences the supply of water, causes risks to life and livelihoods when associated with floods, landslides and droughts, and affects infrastructure planning, leisure activities and more. Precipitation is closely related to cloud properties, a number of terrestrial ECVs and to ocean-surface salinity. It is indicative of the release of latent heat within the energy cycle, as well as being at the heart of the hydrological cycle.
  Domain: Atmosphere
  Subdomain: Surface
  Scientific Area: Hydrosphere
  ECV Steward: Rainer Hollmann
  ECV Product: Estimates of liquid and solid precipitation

 


Precipitation Climatology

GPCC Climatology 2020

Figure: Annual global climatology of accumulated solid and liquid precipitation in mm based on data of the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC).


 

 

EU Copernicus

 

Sponsors

Twitter icon



Copyright | Privacy | Contact