NUMBER 101

DATE: 01/06/92

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During November, NOA, ESA, AES and JMA processed greater than 98% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations were reported by NOA, AES and JMA.

AES reported discovery and correction of an error in their new data processing software that caused the loss of the 0000 UTC image on Saturdays. The VIS/IR image offset error in B2 data for July through October 91 (which were produced with new processing software) was fixed and all these data were shipped to the GPC. However, further inspection revealed some additional problems with these data that are being investigated.

ESA reported a decontamination cycle for METEOSAT-4 from 0900 UTC on 26 November through 0930 UTC on 29 November 91; data were collected from METEOSAT-5 during this period.

Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):

No reports were received.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

The SCC reported receipt of AC data November 91 for GMS-4 and for October and November 91 for METEOSAT-3, METEOSAT-4 and NOAA-11. BC data for METEOSAT-3 (at 50 W) for September 91 was sent to the GPC. Also, the SCC has investigated normalizing METEOSAT-3 IR data to METEOSAT-4 data. Results for September - November 91 have been produced and will be compared with the independent normalization to NOAA-11.

Global Processing Center (GPC):

The GPC continued to receive B2 data, BC data and correlative data in a routine manner.

Production of NOAA-11 (preliminary) B3 data is current. After a meeting at which several different calibration results for Channel 1 on NOAA-11 were compared, the disturbing discrepancies have not been resolved. Despite excellent agreement between the aircraft and ISCCP results on the calibration ratio between NOAA-9 and NOAA-11 and on the direction and magnitude of the drift for NOAA-9, the aircraft data show a sharp (10%) decrease in sensitivity during the first year of NOAA-11 operations that is not observed in the ISCCP results. Moreover, this large decrease is not found in the results of two other vicarious methods. All of this is still being investigated. For the time being, we will continue to use the current ISCCP results. Re-calibration of the NOAA-11 B3 data for 90 and 91 has commenced.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current. (Could the apparent calibration anomaly at the end of the lifetime of NOAA-10 in September 91 be an effect of the Pinatubo aerosol cloud?)

Production of METEOSAT-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Re-calibration of METEOSAT-4 B3 data has been completed through February 90.

Production of GOES-7 (preliminary) B3 data is current (through June 91). A new set of B2 data were received covering the period from July through October 91; however, inspection of these data (which were produced by new software at AES) shows a number of problems that make production of B3 data very difficult. In particular, there seem to be a larger number of lost scanlines and truncated images. These problems are being investigated by AES.

Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Re-calibration of GMS-4 B3 data has been completed through February 90.

Production of INSAT-1 (preliminary) B3 data has been completed from January 86 through December 87.

Production of TOVS and the ice/snow correlative datasets is current.

C1 data for August, September, October and November 89 have been completed and delivered to the ICA.

ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):

The ICA continued to receive B1 data from NOA, AES, ESA, and JMA and B3 and C data from the GPC in a routine manner.