NUMBER 171

DATE: 10/08/97

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During August, EUM, JMA, AES and CSU processed greater than 99% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for August were reported by EUM, JMA, and AES.

NOA reported a funding shortfall that has terminated deliveries of B2 data as of April 97. No change in this situation has occurred; however, funding for the new fiscal year may allow deliveries to commence again.

CSU has reported resumption of data deliveries as a resolution of the funding shortfall appears to be in place. Radio interference continues to cause occasional line drops in GOES-9 images. Scan motor re-conditioning operations will run from 17 August through 3 September causing the loss of at least two images per day during that time.

CSU is still supplying the AC data for GOES-8 until AES revises their format. AES has reported completion of this revision, but the new format has not be confirmed by the SCC.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for July and August 97 from GOES-8 and GOES-9 and for August 97 from NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS), METEOSAT-6, and GMS-5. BC data for June 97 for METEOSAT-6, GMS-5, GOES-8 and GOES-9 were shipped to the GPC.

All BC reports now include normalization for the visible, standard infrared and "split-window" infrared channels (except METEOSAT which does not have a split-window channel), and the "water vapor" channels.

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 deliveries are current. Deliveries since July 96 have included 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 for January 96 have been delivered in final form. The formatting software has not been written yet.

Production of METEOSAT-3 (preliminary) B3 data is complete. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete, having received the remaining B2 data for October - December 96, and processed it through February 97. The data from January 96 onwards will have to be revised to include the normalization coefficients for the additional spectral channels. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

Production of METEOSAT-6 (preliminary) B3 has been halted to revise B3 software and data formats to include the normalization coefficients for the additional spectral channels.

Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is complete. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94.

GMS-5 B2 data deliveries are current. Production of GMS-5 (preliminary) B3 has commenced and has been completed through December 95. Production has been halted to revise B3 software and data formats to include the normalization coefficients for the additional spectral channels.

All B3 processing software and the B3 data formats are being revised to include, as of January 96, the normalization coefficients for all the additional spectral channels. Changes to the geosat formatters and quality checking codes have been completed.

TOVS correlative data processing has been completed through January 97. Another unannounced format change in February 97 is being investigated.

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset is complete through 94. Comparison of several sources of sea ice data has been completed and a revised (improved) processing scheme has been developed to produce sea ice data from the standard dataset produced by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Since the supply of data from the Navy is still uncertain, the NSIDC dataset will be used for ISCCP processing.

DX/D1/D2 for September and October 88 has been processed. The computer system upgrade that has been slowing processing for more than a year has been ended. Processing has now resumed at full speed. For the past year, the GPC staff has been short by two and hiring computer programmers in New York has become very difficult. One new person has been hired, so that we can begin to catch up on some of the backlog of work. A proto-type of the D-data processing system has been ported to a workstation and run "successfully" through a full month of data -- there are some discrepancies to investigate and some further testing to be done, but this event suggests that processing on workstations will begin within the next month or so. D-production on a workstation runs at least five times faster than the mainframe production.

A new version of the READ software for D1 data has been posted on the Web page to correct a minor bug in the previously released software. 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, EUM, CSU and JMA and B3 and C data from the GPC in a routine manner.

The health of GOES-8, GOES-9, GMS-5, METEOSAT-6, NOAA-12 and NOAA-14 remained good. The Chinese FY-2 satellite continues through its checkout towards full operations in October 97. METEOSAT-7 was successfully launched on 2 September 97 and will replace METEOSAT-6 in November 97. METEOSAT-5 will be moved to eastward to cover the Indian ocean once METEOSAT-7 is in operation. Launch of NOAA-K has been delayed until January 98; no change in orbit will be made.

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 - January 87, September 88 - July 93 ( 6.0 years)

Stage D2: January 86 - January 87, September 88 - July 93 ( 6.0 years)

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (CSU = 19 months, NOA = 4 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 32 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 132 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 43 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1/C2 data for 96 months have been archived. D1/D2 data for 72 months have been archived.