NUMBER 198

DATE: 01/07/00

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

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

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

NOA funding for processing B2 data has now been exhausted, so deliveries have ceased. CSU is 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 November 99 from NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS), GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and GMS-5. BC data for September 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. In-house software has now been written to read all ISCCP datasets; software to write these datasets is being written. The last stage of the upgrade to the GISS LAN has been completed; however, it was down or unreliable for most of December. Since a complete system shut-down for Y2K, the network has not yet returned to stable behavior. The mysterious failure of the D-data processing system appears to have been caused by network unreliability and the fact that routine UNIX-level software is resident on system-central machines: intermittent network interruptions cause the failures. This problem has not yet been resolved. A summary of the past year, the GISS computer system problems (silo down since February, network unreliable) have precluded most production activities for almost the whole year.

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.

Production of GOES-8 (preliminary) B3 data is complete for January 96 through August 96.

Processing of GOES-9 B2 data awaits 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.

Production of GMS-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through April 98; 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.

Two CDs of D2 data are now available from NASA Langley, covering 83-88 and 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. Apparently, GOES-L was not launched. 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) was successful on 18 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 = 2 months, NOAA-15 = 11 months, CSU = 46 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 49 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 142 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 57 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.