NUMBER 69
DATE: 05/05/89
Sector Processing Center (SPC):
During March, NOA, ESA, JMA and AES collectively processed more than 95% of A data into B1/B2 data.
Normal operations were reported by NOA, ESA and JMA.
ESA reported that METEOSAT-4 is now scheduled to take over operational data collection from METEOSAT-3 on 8 May 1989 if commissioning goes well.
AES reported losses of data on 14 and 29 March due to a malfunction of the Wallops ground processing
system caused by unusually heavy solar flares and by the occurrence of a rare, but unanticipated, situation
in their ingest software. The latter problem has been fixed.
Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):
No reports were received.
Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):
No report was received.
Global Processing Center (GPC):
The GPC continued to receive B2 data and correlative data in a routine manner.
Re-processing of all NOAA-9 B3 data to correct the small IR count error has been completed through March 86; these data are being delivered to the ICA.
Production of GMS-3 B3 data has been completed through November 86.
Inspection of all B3 data to detect short-term calibration anomalies has been completed for NOAA-9 through 86. Replacement of the original IR calibration for GMS B2 data through 85 has now been completed; final inspection to detect any remaining short-term anomalies will begin later this month.
Re-processing of the C1 data to correct several small errors has been completed for July - September 83 and for January 84. These data are being prepared for delivery to the ICA. Some additional special data sets for the SRB project have been produced and will be delivered later this month after a revision of the tape format.
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.
A letter with additional background material has been sent to more than 50 scientists requesting advice and suggestions for the contents of the C2 data set.
A sub-group of the ISCCP Working Group on Data Management met in New York on 10 April 1989 to discuss processing and delivery of GOES-7 data, correlative data deliveries, and arrangements to process INSAT data. Attending were the representatives from NOA, CSU, UWS, AES and the GPC.
A report from AES indicated that their new front-end data reception system had significantly improved reliability, obviating the need for any formal arrangements for back-up. A cost estimate will be made by UWS to determine whether some GOES-7 data in 87 and 88, lost by the earlier AES processing system, can be recovered. Deliveries of GOES-7 B1 data to the ICA are well underway and should be up to date by this fall.
Some actions are planned by NOAA to make the deliveries of snow and sea ice data sets to the GPC more routine.
According to information from the CSU representative, about 3-4 months of 1988 INSAT data, taken eight
times daily, have been delivered to NCAR. Since GOES-6 failed, CSU will take responsibility for quality
checks and pre-processing of these data and deliver them to the GPC for conversion to B3 data. The quality
checks will include elimination of specific "noise" effects that have been discovered and an approximate check
on navigation accuracy. With a supply of B3 data for GMS and METEOSAT, CSU will also normalize the
calibration of INSAT using overlapping measurements. The GPC will perform additional checks of the
calibration for short-term anomalies and overall consistency with the other satellites. A test production of C1
data will be conducted to determine whether the saturation of the IR channel at high temperatures seriously
affects the results.
The health of GMS-3, METEOSAT-3, METEOSAT-4, GOES-7, NOAA-10 and NOAA-11 remained good.
Beginning delivery of INSAT B1 data.
Completing BC data for 1987 and 1988.
Correcting small, short-term calibration anomalies in the B3 data for 1984, 1985 and 1986.
Delivering all B3 data for 1986, 1987 and 1988 to the ICA.
Delivering snow and sea ice data for 1987 and 1988 to the GPC.
Beginning delivery of C2 data.
Delivery of some special C data sets for FIRE, ICE and the Surface Radiation Budget project.