NUMBER 206 DATE: 09/08/00

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During July, EUM, JMA, CSU and AES processed more than 99% of A data into B1/B2 data.

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

CSU has processed and shipped the GOES-10 B2 data through June 00; arrangements are now being made to switch to ftp delivery of the B2 data. CSU reported that a change in the nominal calibration of the WV channels for GOES-8 and GOES-9 was introduced in March 1996 but not reported to the SCC and GPC. This caused a small systematic error in the calibration of this channel beyond this date.

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 July 00 from NOAA-14 (AVHRR and HIRS), METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GMS-5, GOES-8 and GOES-10. BC data for May 00 for GOES-8, GOES-10, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and GMS-5 were shipped to the GPC.

A test reprocessing of the WV channel normalization for GOES-8 for April 00 was used to confirm the nature of an error in calibration. The SCC expects to be able to reprocess all of the GOES-8 and GOES-9 WV normalizations within the next 4-6 months.

Currently, AC data for NOAA and GMS are the only ones received on media (Exabyte and CD-rom, respectively); all other AC data are received and the BC data are sent via Internet.

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; all of these data, except for the BC data and one B2 dataset, are currently received on media.

Mainframe functioning was finally restored after nine weeks; porting of the remaining processing software to workstations has resumed.

Production of NOAA-14 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 99; B2 data have been received through April 00. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 98 (the last). Final B3 data have been produced through April 98.

The test tape containing NOAA-15 B2 data has been checked out, so delivery of these data will commence shortly.

Production of GOES-8 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 97. Final B3 data have been produced for May 95 through March 96; after some additional checking, these data will be delivered to the ICA.

All (January 96 through July 98) GOES-9 B2 data has been received from CSU. The formatting software for workstation is complete and some test months have been processed, but some format irregularities are still being investigated.

The GOES-10 B2 data for July 98 through June 00 have been received. The formatting software is in final testing on workstation.

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; but the formatting software has been ported to workstation.

Production of GMS-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 97. Final B3 data have been produced through April 98. The processing software for GMS has not yet been ported to workstation (delayed by mainframe problems).

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. The re-calibration software has now been ported to workstations.

TOVS correlative data processing is complete through April 98; the TOVS processing software has not been ported to workstation (delayed by mainframe problems).

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset on workstation is complete through September 99. The data for 98 have been delivered.

A small discrepancy in the GOES-7 B2 format, when data from AES and CSU were being merged, caused excessive loss of data during the processing of D data for 94. GOES-7 B3 data for January 94 though February 95 have now been reprocessed and the DX data have been reprocessed for January through June 94. The calibration gap problem from September 94 to February 95 has been resolved. The VIS calibration for NOAA-14 was revised one more time (lowered by 7%); new BT data and calibration tables for the Web site are being prepared. All data products are currently delivered on media.

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 ICA and GPC are working on a plan for converting as many of the ISCCP data exchanges as possible to ftp; the first steps are to work out a new dataset naming convention and to determine what "virtual" volume size will be assumed for the header file descriptions of the data.

Planning for a Data Management Working Group Meeting:

The next meeting of the ISCCP Data Management Working Group will be held at the GPC (NASA GISS) in New York on December 11-13. The two main agenda items will be to complete the last details for changing to ftp data exchanges and to discuss what actions should be taken to further the GEWEX objectives during the coming decade.

The health of GOES-8, GOES-10, GMS-5, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7 and NOAA-14 remained good. METEOSAT-6 and GOES-11 are in stand-by mode. The AVHRR on NOAA-15 failed in July, so discussions are underway as to whether NOAA-L, now set for launch early next year, will replace NOAA-14 or NOAA-15. EUMETSAT has announced a further delay of the launch of MSG-1 until January 02 and that parallel operations with METEORSAT-7 will be conducted through the end of 03. Launch of MTSAT-1R (the replacement for GMS-5) is now scheduled for 03. China successfully launched FY-2B (the geostationary weather satellite) on 25 June 00; current status is unknown.

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)

Satellite Network 7/83-12/94	Satellite Network 1/95-12/05
B Level Data Products 7/83-12/94	B Level Data Products 1/95-12/05

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (NOAA-14 = 3 months, NOAA-15 = 19 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 57 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 142 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for new DX/D1/D2 data = 65 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.