NUMBER 142

DATE: 05/10/95

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During March, NOA, ESA, and JMA processed greater than 96% of A data into B1/B2 data. CSU was only able to process 77% of GOES-7 A data into B1/B2 data. No METEOSAT-3 data were processed by CSU and the status of GOES-8 processing was not reported.

Normal operations for March were reported by NOA, ESA and JMA. No report was received from AES, but it is presumed that GOES-7 data collection has ceased.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for March 95 from GOES-7, GMS-4, METEOSAT-3, METEOSAT-5 and NOAA-14. All the BC results for October/November 94 have been re-processed to correct for an error in the NOAA-12 normalization procedure.

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 complete. Final B3 data have been produced though December 93. The first NOAA-14 datasets have been received, but formatting software has not been written yet.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data have been produced through December 93.

Production of GOES-7 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data have been produced through June 93.

Sample GOES-8 B2 data has been received, but formatting software has not been written yet.

Production of METEOSAT-3 (preliminary) B3 data is current. The first five months of METEOSAT-3 data, acting in place of GOES-EAST, did not have complete calibration, requiring special processing to produce B3 data. This task is now complete. Final calibration will begin later this month.

Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data for METEOSAT-4 have been produced through June 93.

Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data have been produced through June 93.

Production of all INSAT-1 (preliminary) B3 data has been completed.

Production of the TOVS and ice/snow correlative datasets is on hold. TOV processing stopped in March 94 until we are able to accommodate an unannounced data format change.

Investigation of the cause of the problems in the 92 and 93 sea ice datasets continues. Meanwhile, we have obtained another sea ice dataset being produced from SSM/I observations at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado. This dataset currently covers the time period from July 1987 through August 1994 and is being kept more current than the Navy/NOAA product. We are comparing these two datasets in their overlapping years (1987-1991) to see whether we can switch to this dataset for future processing. If the differences between these two datasets are not too large (the Navy/NOAA product is based largely on an analysis of the same microwave dataset), then we can proceed with processing beyond 1991.

After beginning re-processing of the DX/D1/D2 dataset that had flawed sea ice data, we experienced a series of five hard disk crashes in less than one month which significantly delayed processing. These problems have not recurred within the past few weeks. To date, we have completed processing of DX/D1/D2 for January - July and September 1991. Deliveries of DX/D1/D2 will begin once the documentation is completed.

We are working on a World Wide Web Home Page for ISCCP; a first version should be released within the next month or so. This Home Page will provide descriptions of the project and participants, an overview of the datasets, a bibliography, contacts, read software for all datasets, complete copies of the main dataset documents (initially ASCII versions), and browse images that are global maps of total cloud amount, cloud top pressure, cloud top temperature, cloud optical thickness, surface temperature, and surface reflectance for all months (July 1983 - June 1991), for mean January, February, etc., for mean seasons, and for the annual mean. In additions, a user will be able to download copies of all the dataset documents (later in postscript files with graphics) and all the digital data corresponding to the browse images. Initially, the documents will be for the radiance (B3) data, the original calibration report, and the original cloud products (C1 and C2). Next, we will add the updated calibration, the new cloud products (DX, D1 and D2), and finally update the B3 radiance document. We plan to expand the number of variables that can be viewed and downloaded, continue adding to the bibliography, and provide more documents that can be downloaded.

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, METEOSAT-5, GOES-7, GOES-8, and NOAA-12 remained good. Launch of GOES-J to replace GOES-7 is on schedule for 19 May 95. The first SCARAB instrument failed in March 95.

Stage B3: July 83 - June 93

Stage CD: July 83 - December 91

Stage C1: July 83 - June 91

Stage C2: July 83 - June 91

Finding useful sea ice correlative data for years beyond 91.

Delivery backlog for B3 data = 15 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 120 months have been archived, except for METEOSAT-3 replacing GOES-EAST.

Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 39 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1 data for 96 months have been archived.