NUMBER 196

DATE: 11/05/99

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

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

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

NOA shipped B2 data from NOAA-14 for January through April 99 to the GPC this month; funding levels have not permitted software changes needed to process the NOAA-15 data, which have a slightly different format (6 channels sharing 5 slots). CSU has now shipped replacement GOES-8 B2 data for November 95 through March 96 (the last). AES has shipped replacement GOES-8 B2 data for June 96 through June 97 (the last).

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 September 99 from NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS), GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and GMS-5. BC data for July 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, so that the type of drive needed for data delivery is now accessible. However, the system-level software bug (now definitely identified as a flaw in the vendor-supplied software) has not been resolved. Two temporary work-arounds that were tried also did not work, so now we are now studying two alternative software systems. Much more work remains and full data production is still not possible. In addition, the D-data processing software that used to work has begun exhibiting mysterious failures after the operating systems were "upgraded" for Y2K compliance. It seems that we have new system bugs as a result: all D-data processing has been halted.

Production of NOAA-14 (preliminary) B3 data is current as of April 98; B2 data have been received through April 99. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current as of April 98; B2 data have been received through December 98 (the last). Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

GOES-8 B2 data deliveries are current. AES has now replaced all of the bad B2 data; data for June 96 through February 98 were received. CSU also has delivered all of its replacement GOES-8 B2 data for January through March 96. Final tests of the processing software for the AES format will be completed next week.

Processing of GOES-9 B2 data depends on delivery by CSU of all the B2 data in its new final format. The formatting software is in final testing.

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. The documented spectral response functions for METEOSAT-7, published in the latest B3 documentation and posted on the ISCCP Web page, are incorrect. The correct spectral response functions will be posted to the Web page as soon as processing resumes.

Deliveries of B2 data from GMS-5 are current. Final B3 data have been produced through December 97.

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.

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.

Calibration anomalies in 94 and early 95 have been resolved and processing of these data has resumed.

The second Cdrom of D2 data (for 83-88) has just been released by NASA Langley. The first CDrom contained D2 data for 89-93.

The research bibliography on the Web site has been updated. All of the calibration information posted on the ISCCP Web site has now been updated to cover the period from July 83 through April 98. These results are final only through December 93, but are fairly accurate beyond that. 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

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. The launch of the Japanese MTSAT has been delayed by a battery problem until November 99. The launch of GOES-L, next in the series, has been delayed until at least November 99. Launch of NOAA-L is now set for no earlier than May 00. EUMETSAT has announced plans to continue operations of METEOSAT-5 at 63E (Asian sector) through 2001, one year longer than originally planned for INDOEX. Moreover, if the launch of METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG) is successful next year and both METEOSAT-6 and METEOSAT-7 are still healthy, one of these latter satellites will be moved to continue coverage of the Asian sector beyond 2001. The launch of Terra (formerly EOS-AM) has now been scheduled for 12 December 99.

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 (NOAA-14 = 5 months, NOAA-15 = 9 months, CSU = 45 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 47 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 142 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 55 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.