NUMBER 209 DATE: 12/14/00

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

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

Normal operations for October were reported by EUM, JMA and MSC. CSU reported loss of the 2100GMT images from September 30 through October 16 due to solar radio frequency interference. AES changed its name to the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) as of October this year.

NOA shipped the next four months of NOAA-15 data to the GPC. Arrangements for ftp delivery of B2 data from CSU are being tested. MSC data deliveries by ftp are now routine.

CSU is still supplying the AC data for GOES-8 because the SCC has not accepted the revised format from MSC. A test of the MSC format is now planned.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

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

Reprocessing of the WV channel normalization for GOES-8 has been completed for July 97 through July 99. All of these data have been shipped to the GPC.

Currently, AC data for GMS are the only ones received on media (CD-rom); 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.

Porting of the remaining processing software to workstations is essentially complete; some testing and clean-up are still required.

Production of NOAA-14 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through April 00; 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.

NOAA-15 B2 data have been received for January 99 through December 99. Because of the changes in spectral response (visible channel) and the switching of channels (for channel 3), both the calibration procedure and the B3 processing software will have to be revised for NOAA-15 processing. Also, the cloud detection algorithm will have to be revised before these data can be used.

Production of GOES-8 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 97. Final B3 data have been produced through December 97.

All (January 96 through July 98) GOES-9 B3 have been produced in final form and delivered to the ICA

The GOES-10 B2 data for July 98 through June 00 have been received. The formatting software is ready.

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.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-7 are current. Production of METEOSAT-7 (preliminary) B3 data has not commenced; but the formatting software has been ported to workstation.

Deliveries of B2 data from GMS-5 are current. Production of GMS-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 97. Final B3 data have been produced through December 97. The workstation version of the processing software for GMS is ready.

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 been ported to workstations.

TOVS correlative data processing is complete through April 98. The TOVS processing software has now been ported to workstation (the last major piece of software). Modifications of this software will be needed to accommodate the NOAA format change that occurred in May 98.

Production of the ice/snow correlative dataset on workstation is complete through December 99.

Both the GOES-7 and METEOSAT-3 problems have now been resolved. D data processing has resumed: the data for 94 will be re-processed first. 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.

Data Management Working Group Meeting:

The Working Group on Data Management Radiation Projects met at the GPC (NASA GISS) in New York on December 11-13. A review of the status of all the data centers indicated that data processing is now routine with no major problems. Difficulties with the computer system at the ISCCP GPC have now been resolved and all production software ported to workstations. Full processing of ISCCP data products has resumed. Final testing of the analysis methods for retrieval of aerosols and determination of surface and top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes is nearing completion. Production of the GACP and SRB data products should begin early next year. All the details for changing to ftp data exchanges were decided, including a new dataset naming convention and the ftp protocols to be followed. A number of ideas for the next phase of GEWEX were discussed, but the main emphasis was given to noting that the resources currently available at the project data centers are only just (barely) sufficient.

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. NOAA-16 will begin operations in January 01; NOAA-14 and NOAA-16 will operate in parallel. NOAA-M is scheduled for launch in mid-01. EUMETSAT has announced a further delay of the launch of MSG-1 until mid-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. Operations of FY-2B will begin in January 01. FY-1C (polar orbiting weather satellite) is operational; FY-1D is scheduled for launch sometime in 01. Only India's INSAT-1D is operational since INSAT-2B recently ran out of attitude control fuel; launch of INSAT-3A and 3D are planned for late 01 and 03, respectively. Also being planned is the launch of a dedicated weather satellite, to be called METSAT-1, in October 01. Russia's METEOR-3M-1 (a new generation of polar orbiting weather satellite) is planned for launch into a morning orbit before the end of this year. METEOR-3M-2 and GOMS-2 (geostationary weather satellite) are planned for launch in 02 and 03, respectively.

Stage B3: July 83 - December 97 (14.5 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 = 6 months, NOAA-15 = 7 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 28 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 174 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for DX/D1/D2 data = 68 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 134 months have been archived.