NUMBER 191

DATE: 06/10/99

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During April, EUM, JMA, CSU and AES processed more than 97% of A data into B1/B2 data. In March CSU processed 98% of A data into B1/B2.

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

NOA has received new funding so processing of B2 data will resume.

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 April 99 from GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GMS-5 and NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS). BC data for February 99 for GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and GMS-5 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.

The hardware upgrade of the tape silo has been completed, except for the remaining low density drives. New system software has also been installed; system configuration is underway. The hardware change means that this system is now inaccessible from the mainframe computer, so processing of B3 and correlative data will be very significantly slowed until these two processing systems can be ported to workstations (which can be completed only when the silo system is fully operational). Although the D-data system is running on workstations, all tapes had to be produced on the mainframe where the tape library resides, necessitating laborious transfers of all datasets from workstation to mainframe. Software development of a workstation-based tape library is underway and can now be completed.

The VIS calibration for NOAA-11 has been changed for the period January through September 94 to eliminate a spurious darkening trend, detected in the cloud product results and confirmed by comparison with NOAA-12. The D-data for January - August 94 will be re-processed and replaced.

Production of NOAA-14 (preliminary) B3 data is current as of April 98; no further B2 data have been received. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current as of April 98; no further B2 data have been received. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

GOES-8 B2 data deliveries are current. Development of the formatting software is complete; however, the occasional substitution of "North American" images in place of full-Earth images is being investigated to see whether they can also be processed.

Processing of GOES-9 B2 data (and the GOES-8 B2 data for 95) depends on delivery by CSU of all the B2 data in its new final format. The formatting software has been completed, but some testing remains.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-5 (at 63E) are current, but processing has not resumed.

Production of METEOSAT-6 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through June 98. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

Production of METEOSAT-7 (preliminary) B3 data has not commenced; however, the formatting software has been completed.

Deliveries of B2 data from GMS-5 are current; processing into final B3 from will commence this month.

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 is complete through April 98.

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset is complete through December 97.

Calibration anomalies in 94 and early 95 are still being investigated.

The first CDrom of D2 data (for 89-93) has been released and is now available from the GPC or NASA Langley. Another CDrom of D2 data (for 83-88) is being prepared.

A paper describing what is known about the accuracy of the C-series dataset and comparing them with the new D-series dataset has been accepted by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Data now available on the Web site are monthly mean data for July 83 through December 93 and climatology results based on the period July 83 through June 94. The ISCCP World Wide Web Home Page can be accessed at URL

The meeting of the Working Group on Data Management for Radiation Projects, scheduled for June 99 in Beijing, China, was postponed again. An attempt will be made to re-schedule this meeting for late 99.

ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):

The ICA continued to receive B1 data from NOA, AES, EUM, CSU and JMA and B3 and D data from the GPC in a routine manner.

The health of GOES-8, GOES-10, GMS-5, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, NOAA-14 and NOAA-15 remained good. China successfully launched another FY-1 (polar orbiting meteorological satellite) on 7 May 99. The launch of GOES-L, next in the series, has been delayed while investigation of a launch mishap with the same booster is being conducted. NOAA-L is now scheduled for launch in spring 00; when it enters operational status, NOAA is planning to modify its AVHRR data format to collect full 6-channel data, including both the 1.6 and 3.7 micron channels. The first of the next generation Japanese satellites, called MTSAT, may be launched late this year. Telemetry from the Russian Resurs satellite bearing the second ScaRab instrument ceased on 7 April 99; very little data had been collected up to that time because of funding problems in Russia. The problem appears to be a permanent loss.

Stage B3: July 83 - April 95 (11.8 years)

Stage CD: July 83 - December 97 (14.5 years)

Stage D1: July 83 - August 94 (11.2 years)

Stage D2: July 83 - August 94 (11.2 years)

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (NOA = 12 months, CSU = 52 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 42 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 142 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 50 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.