NUMBER 127

DATE: 03/08/94

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During January, ESA, JMA, NOA, AES and CSU processed greater than 77% of A data into B1/B2 data.Normal operations for January were reported by ESA, NOA, JMA and AES.CSU reported the loss of some METEOSAT-3 B2 data because of software and hardware adjustments for other data collection activities.NOA reported Fiscal 94 budget cuts that preclude further processing and delivery of the NOAA-12 (morning) B2 data to the GPC. Further discussions are underway to try to resolve this problem.

Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):

No report received.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

The SCC received AC data for September, November and December 93 from NOAA-11, for December 93 and January 94 from METEOSAT-3 and METEOSAT-4, and for January 94 from GMS-4. No AC data has been received from AES for GOES-7 since delivery of AC for August 93.

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.Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current.Production of GOES-7 (preliminary) B3 data is current. The processing of the UWS replacement B2 data has begun.Production of METEOSAT-3 (preliminary) B3 data is current. The processing of B3 data for May 92 through September 93 has commenced. METEOSAT-3 will be replaced by METEOSAT-5 at 75W in the near future.Production of METEOSAT-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current. The first METEOSAT-6 B2 data has arrived; however, there are apparently large, spurious temporal variations of the signals from the infrared channels that may preclude their use operationally. The situation is still be studied by ESA and EUMETSAT.Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current.Production of all INSAT-1 (preliminary) B3 data has been completed. First tests of the correction procedure for short-term calibration variations appear to have worked well. Further testing is underway.Production of the ice/snow and TOVS correlative datasets is current; however, we are still awaiting delivery of the sea ice data for 92.The processing software that will be used to re-calibrate all of the B3 data (by producing new calibration datasets, called BT data) has been completed. Once final revised calibrations for NOAA-7, 9 and 11 have been determined, production of the new BT dataset will begin.A full test run of all the new processing code is underway, after having fixed a number of problems encountered in the first test. Two whole months (all satellites) have been completed and a second pair of months is about half finished. Evaluation of the changes in cloud properties produced by the new analysis has commenced. A few minor changes to the cloud algorithm have been made: (1) IR thresholds for nighttime polar regions have been changed slightly -- Antarctica is still under study, (2) the method for calculating IR scattering effects for ice clouds has been modified to be consistent with our water cloud calculation, (3) the READ program for the new D1/D2 datasets will calculate some alternative cloud properties including cloud top height in meters.Early results from the revised polar cloud detection algorithm indicate the following: (1) wintertime cloud amounts will increase by only a few percent in the Arctic basin to about 70%, (2) wintertime Antarctic plateau cloud amounts will increase by about 10% to about 50%, (3) summertime Arctic basin cloud amounts will increase by about 10-15% to about 65%, (4) summertime Antarctic plateau cloud amounts will increase by over 20% to about 40%, and (5) there will only be a small decrease in the low bias of cloud amounts over wintertime land areas (tests based on the 3.7 m channel suggest that the bias will still be > 5%).During a conversation with Lee Kyle (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), he suggested that the reprocessing be done forwards and backwards from June 1991 so that there is a continuous dataset available at all times. This seems like an excellent idea, particularly because there is much more research interest in the years 1991 - 1994, when more recent field experiments occurred (FIRE, ASTEX, TOGA-COARE) and because of climate events (unusual El Nino and Pinatubo volcanic eruption, 1991 - 1992). Unless there are strong reasons not to, we will plan to begin processing of new data from July 91 forwards (at two data months per month) and from June 91 backwards (at four data months per month). Once we complete new data through June 93 (end of 10th year), we will stop new processing to devote all resources to completing the old data re-processing. We also have NOAA-7 B2 data back to September 81 which we will process to give us a polar-orbiter-only record spanning three El Ninos.

ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):

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

The health of GMS-4, METEOSAT-3 (at 75 W), METEOSAT-4, METEOSAT-5 (moving towards 75W), GOES-7, NOAA-11 and NOAA-12 remained good. Early testing of the newly launched METEOSAT-6 indicates large temporal variations of the signal in the Water Vapor and IR channels; the utility of this satellite for operations is still being evaluated. GOES-I is now scheduled for launch on 12 April 94; the initial orbital position will be so as to allow overlapping observations with GOES-7 for testing. The launch date for NOAA-J (to replace NOAA-11 after the loss of NOAA-I) has been set at 28 September 94.

Stage B3: July 83 - June 91Stage CD: July 83 - December 91Stage C1: July 83 - June 91Stage C2: July 83 - June 91

Delivering sea ice correlative data for 92 and 93 to GPC.

Delivery of backlog of AC data for GOES-7 from September 93 through January 94 to the SCC.

Delivery backlog for B3 data = 25 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 96 months have been archived.

Delivery backlog for C1/C2 data = 25 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1 data for 96 months have been archived.