NUMBER 197

DATE: 12/10/99

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

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

Normal operations for October were reported by JMA, CSU and AES. EUM has discovered a problem with its processing system for both METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7 data that causes occasional mixing of data from the two satellites. They have corrected the problem and provided a list to the GPC of most instances where this has occurred in the past.

NOA shipped B2 data from NOAA-14 for May through September 99 to the GPC this month; funding for processing B2 data has now been exhausted, so deliveries will cease. Funding levels this past year have also not permitted software changes needed to process the NOAA-15 data, which have a slightly different format (6 channels sharing 5 slots). CSU is now processing GOES-9 B2 data for delivery.

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 October 99 from NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS), GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and GMS-5. BC data for August 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. The originally purchased system-level software has been abandoned. In-house software has now been written to read all ISCCP datasets; software to write these datasets is being written. The main advantage of the original software was that it allowed access to the tape silo from any workstation on the network. The lower-level software only allows tape jobs to be run from workstations connected directly to the silo. Therefore, our computer system was re-configured to connect four workstations directly to the silo and to move disk storage to machines better able to handle IO operations. Just as this began, the last stage of the upgrade to the LAN was initiated (completing a process that began about one year ago!), which made the whole LAN unusable for about two weeks, so all data processing was halted. The LAN now seems functional. Full data production is still not possible.

Although the cause of the mysterious failures of the D-data processing software have not been determined (greatly confused by on-going network difficulties), we have been able to resume processing through some temporary actions. This problem is still being investigated.

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

No NOAA-15 B2 data have been received as yet.

GOES-8 B2 data deliveries are current. Tests of the processing software for the AES format (data for 96 and beyond) have been completed and three months of (preliminary) B3 data produced. Routine processing will continue.

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 April 98.

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. Data for September through December 94 have been processed and are being evaluated.

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

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 failed; actions are being taken to extend the life of GMS-5. News of the launch of GOES-L has not been received. 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 16 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 = 1 month, NOAA-15 = 10 months, CSU = 45 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 48 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 142 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 56 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.