NUMBER 161

DATE: 12/09/96

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During October, NOA, JMA, AES and CSU processed greater than 91% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for October were reported by NOA, AES and JMA. No report was received from EUM.

CSU reported that NOAA was still testing the GOES-9 imager scan motor from 13 October through 28 October causing cancellation of images at 0600, 0900 and 1200 UTC each day.

NOAA reported supplying a test set of HIRS radiances for October 96 to the SCC to continue testing the normalization of the 6.7 micron radiance channels on GMS-5, GOES-8 and GOES-9. Whether funding is sufficient to continue supplying HIRS radiances for this activity is being investigated.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for August and September 96 from METEOSAT-5 and for October 96 from GOES-9 and NOAA-14. JMA plans to begin sending AC data on CD-ROM very soon. HIRS data for October 96 were also obtained for normalization of the 6.7 micron radiances from GMS-5, GOES-8 and GOES-9. BC data for July 96 for GOES-8 and for July and August 96 for GOES-9, METEOSAT-5 and GMS-5 were shipped to the GPC. Test normalization of the water vapor channel on GOES-8 for July 96 was also completed. Testing continues.

Global Processing Center (GPC):

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

Production of NOAA-14 (preliminary) B3 is current. Production of final B3 will require normalizing the calibration to the standard, NOAA-9.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data have been delivered through December 95.

Production of GOES-7 (preliminary) B3 data is complete. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

GOES-8 B2 data have been received through October 96. More recent deliveries include the calibration block, but the status of this information for the older datasets is not clear. The formatting software has not been written yet.

GOES-9 B2 data have not been delivered in final form; a new test tape has been received and examined. Some further revisions are being discussed. The formatting software has not been written yet.

Production of METEOSAT-3 (preliminary) B3 data is completed through January 95. The special CD-ROM datasets sent by ESA for February through April 95 have not been processed yet. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is now current, but only data through April 96 have been received. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

GMS-5 B2 data deliveries are current, but formatting software has not been written yet. Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is completed through May 95. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

Final INSAT-1 B3 has been produced for the period April 88 through March 89.

TOVS correlative data processing has been completed through September 96.

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset is complete through 94. The old source of sea ice data (actually now directly the Navy) has begun producing data again. Also, another sea ice dataset has been released. All of these datasets are being obtained to investigate which should be used in ISCCP production.

DX/D1/D2 processing continues to be slowed by work to upgrade the computer operating system. DX/D1/D2 for July and August 93 has been processed. A significant difficulty with the visible radiance calibration for METEOSAT-3 (operating as GOES-EAST) has been discovered in March and April 93. In addition several navigation errors have been discovered in METEOSAT-3 data for February and August 93: in some cases an incorrect sub-satellite longitude has been transmitted with the B2 data header, but in some cases an incorrect sub-satellite longitude may have been used in re-projecting the data before sending it to the GPC. The errors appear to be correctable by inspecting all flawed images to obtain the correct sub-satellite longitude (in fact the August 93 data have already been corrected).

There were no additions to the ISCCP Web page last month, but the newly re-designed version of the whole layout has been implemented. The ISCCP World Wide Web Home Page can be accessed at URL

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. A new catalog of ISCCP data products was issued in June.

The health of GOES-8, GOES-9, GMS-5, METEOSAT-5, NOAA-12 and NOAA-14 remained good.

Stage B3: July 83 - June 94 (11.0 years)

Stage CD: July 83 - December 94 (11.5 years)

Stage C1: July 83 - June 91 ( 8.0 years)

Stage C2: July 83 - June 91 ( 8.0 years)

Stage D1: January 86 - December 86, January 90 - December 92 ( 4.0 years)

Stage D2: January 86 - December 86, January 90 - December 92 ( 4.0 years)

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 22 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 132 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 40 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1/C2 data for 96 months have been archived. D1/D2 data for 48 months have been archived.