NUMBER 64
DATE: 12/06/88
Sector Processing Center (SPC):
During October, NOA, ESA, JMA and CSU collectively processed greater than 83% of A data into B1/B2 data. AES processed more than 70% of A data into B1/B2 data.
Normal operations were reported by CSU, ESA and JMA.
NOA reported the change-over to NOAA-11 as the operational afternoon polar orbiter on November 8; NOAA-9 was placed into standby mode. NOAA-11 will supply all operational data products; however, ERBE data will be collected from NOAA-9. Problems with the ingest computer caused the loss of all data from NOAA-9, NOAA-10 and NOAA-11 from 29 October at 1545 GMT to 30 October at 0314 GMT.
The first NOAA-10 B2 data has been shipped to the GPC covering the periods from December 86 through May 87 and from August 88 through October 88.
CSU reported continued normal operations; however, their budget for the current fiscal year has not yet been approved. Deliveries of data will be delayed until this approval is received.
AES reported loss of data from 1 to 3 October caused by a failure in the front-end receiving system. Data were also lost on the 8th and 9th by a storage buffer overflow.
JMA sent corrected IR calibration tables to improve the calibration of the local midnight images during eclipse
seasons.
Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):
No reports were received.
Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):
SCC reports that re-writing of all AC-BC processing software, required by a change in computer system, is
underway and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Global Processing Center (GPC):
The GPC continued to receive B2 data and correlative data in a routine manner.
Re-processing of NOAA B3 data to correct the small count error has been completed through June 84 for NOAA-7 and January 84 for NOAA-8; the new tapes are being prepared for delivery to the ICA.
Production of METEOSAT-2 B3 data has been completed through November 87; production will continue through December 87. Data tapes are being prepared for delivery to the ICA.
The receipt of the corrected IR calibration for GMS data allows re-processing of the B3 data from January 84 to December 85 to begin, after some testing to verify the corrections. Once the METEOSAT-2 B3 production through December 87 and GOES-6 B3 production through March 87 are completed, GMS B3 production will resume.
The problems with navigating the AES GOES data appear to be resolved; the difficulty (as always) seems to lie in use of differing coordinate systems and measures of time. The problems were in our processing software and not the information supplied by AES. Some further testing is underway before the writing of complete B3 processing software will begin.
Difficulties have been uncovered with the new CSU B2 data format, implemented when NOAA changed the GOES data transmission format to AAA in April 87; the image header information does not seem compatible with previous definitions of some parameters, preventing use of the existing B3 processing software. Some parameter values also appear to be incorrect or missing altogether. These difficulties may all be resolved by improved documentation, but are still being studied. The B3 processing software will have to be revised.
Re-inspection of all B3 data to detect smaller, short-term calibration anomalies has been extended through the middle of 84; delivery of these corrected data to the ICA should begin by the end of the year.
C1 data for August 83 and September 83 have been delivered to the ICA. Production of October 83 and
November 83 C1 data should be completed within two weeks. Special C1-form data for the FIRE Cirrus and
Marine Stratus Intensive Field Observation periods (October/November 86 and June/July 87) have been
delivered to the FIRE archives (except for GOES-6 data in 87 which is in the new format). The special pixel-level versions of these data are now being processed into the FIRE-standard format for delivery. These
formats (C1-like and FIRE-standard) will also be used for the delivery of all special data sets for other regional
experiments.
ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):
The ICA continued to receive B1 data from NOA, ESA, and JMA and B3 and C data from the GPC in a routine
manner. Delivery of AES B1 data has not yet begun; delivery of CSU B1 data is delayed by funding problems.
Early information about the NASA ER-2 flights over White Sands in early November 1988 to calibrate the AVHRR radiometers indicates a very successful experiment. Within the space of two days, all of the radiometers on NOAA-9, NOAA-11, LANDSAT and SPOT were compared to the same aircraft instrumentation (whether NOAA-10 was checked and which LANDSAT was checked is not known as yet). These data will not only extend the absolute calibration obtained for NOAA-9 AVHRR to another polar orbiter and to two other key satellite radiometers, but also provide another independent check of the ISCCP normalization and trend assessment procedures for polar orbiters. These results should further establish the combined ISCCP and ER-2-based AVHRR calibration as the basis for all operational radiometers. For the first time, we have a single radiometric standard covering many satellites and a long time period (from at least 1983 onwards, although the calibration could be extended to GOES-4 and NOAA-6 covering 1980 to 1982).
A reminder to the members of the ISCCP Working Group on Data Management: your comments on the C2
contents proposal, presented at the last meeting in Banf, should be sent to the GPC as soon as possible. A
new proposal, incorporating suggestions, will be sent out early in January. First delivery of C2 data is planned
for next April.
The health of GMS-3, METEOSAT-3, GOES-6, GOES-7, NOAA-10 and NOAA-11 remained good. The
position of GOES-7 is being allowed to drift slowly westward (starting in October 88) in anticipation of the
failure of GOES-6. NOAA-D (the last of the current series of NOAA satellites - carrying a 4-channel AVHRR)
is now scheduled for launch on 15 December 1989; it is not known whether this is planned to be a morning
or afternoon satellite. The first of the new series of NOAA satellites is scheduled for launch in the fall of 1990.
The first of the new series of ESA satellites, MOP-1, is now scheduled for launch on 24 February 1989.
Arranging for the delivery of INSAT B1 data.
Completing BC data for 1987 and 1988.
Correcting small, short-term calibration anomalies in the B3 data for 84 and 85.
Delivering all B3 data for 1986 and 1987.
Completing the first year of C1 data.
Beginning delivery of C2 data.
Delivery of some special C data sets for FIRE, ICE and the Surface Radiation Budget project.