NUMBER 176

DATE: 03/09/98

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During January, EUM, JMA, CSU and AES processed 100% of A data into B1/B2 data (first time ever!).

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

NOA reported receipt of sufficient funding to process 12 more months of data; this will only allow processing through April 98 unless further funding is obtained. Deliveries of B2 data will resume this month.

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 January 98 from GOES-8, GOES-9, METEOSAT-6, GMS-5 and NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS). BC data for November 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 data is current as of April 97. The normalization of NOAA-14 to NOAA-9 and trend analysis of the first two years of NOAA-14 data have been completed, so production of final B3 data can begin.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current as of April 97. Preliminary calibration results indicate a (possibly spurious) trend in the visible radiance data; however, evaluation is complicated by progressively lower solar zenith angles as the orbit of this very old satellite drifts. Investigation is still underway. 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. The calibration gap from September 94 through January 95, caused by loss of NOAA-11, has been eliminated, so production of final B3 data can resume.

GOES-8 B2 data deliveries are current. The formatting software has not been written yet.

GOES-9 B2 data for January 96 and for April 97 through January 98 have been delivered. Deliveries of earlier datasets are continuing. 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. The calibration gap from September 94 through January 95, caused by loss of NOAA-11, has been eliminated, so production of final B3 data can resume.

Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94. The calibration gap from September 94 through January 95, caused by loss of NOAA-11, has been eliminated, so production of final B3 data can resume.

Production of METEOSAT-6 (preliminary) B3 data is now current.

Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is complete. Final B3 data have been delivered through June 94. The calibration gap from September 94 through January 95, caused by loss of NOAA-11, has been eliminated, so production of final B3 data can resume.

Production of GMS-5 (preliminary) B3 data is now current.

All B3 processing software and the B3 data formats have been revised to include, as of January 96, the normalization coefficients for all the additional spectral channels.

TOVS correlative data processing has been completed through January 97.

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset is complete through December 94.

DX/D1/D2 for October and December 88 have been processed. Testing of the D-data processing system on workstation is nearing completion, but software to produce final tapes still needs to be developed that can preserve the format (established on a mainframe computer but now must be produced from a workstation). Data and documentation to produce a 5-yr (89-93) CDrom version of the D2 data have been submitted to NASA Langley; a test version of the CD has been produced.

New D2 datasets have been added to the Web site; there are now 6 years of data available: 1986 and 1989 through 1993. 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 was declared fully operational as of 1 January 98. METEOSAT-7 will replace METEOSAT-6 in May 98. Launch of NOAA-K is scheduled for 13 May 98. METEOSAT-5 has started to move to 65E longitude to provide coverage of the Indian Ocean during INDOEX; data collection is expected to begin in July 98 and continue for at least one year, possibly longer. B1/B2 and AC data will be produced and delivered by EUM to allow inclusion of these data in the ISCCP products. MSG-1, the first of the next generation METEOSAT satellites is now planned for launch in 2000.

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, January 89 - December 93 ( 6.1 years)

Stage D2: January 86 - January 87, January 89 - December 93 ( 6.1 years)

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (CSU = 14 months, NOA = 9 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 37 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 73 months have been archived.