NUMBER 257 DATE: 12/14/04

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During October, NOA and JMA processed more than 98% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for October were reported by NOA and JMA. No reports were received from CSU, MSC or EUM. The problem with the MSC conversion of 10-bit counts to 8-bit counts is still be investigated. CSU continues to supply GOES-12 B1/B2 data.

CSU is also supplying the AC data for GOES-12 until MSC operations resume.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for October 04 from METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-9, GOES-10, GOES-12 and NOAA-16 (AVHRR and HIRS). BC data for August 04 for METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-9, GOES-10 and GOES-12 were shipped to the GPC.

All AC data are now received via Internet.

All BC reports now include normalization for the visible, standard infrared and "split-window" infrared channels (except METEOSAT and GOES-12 which do 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 by Internet. All data products from the GPC are delivered by ftp to NOAA/NCDC and to NASA Langley.

Deliveries of B2 data from NOAA-16 are current. Production of NOAA-16 (preliminary) B3 is complete through June 04. Because of the scan motor noise problem previously reported, a new quality processing procedure had to be designed to avoid loss of a very large number of orbit swaths..This procedure is now being employed to re-process preliminary B3 data from January 04 onwards Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 data from NOAA-17 are current. Production of NOAA-17 (preliminary) B3 is complete through June 04. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 from GOES-9 (at 155E) are current. Production of GOES-9 (preliminary) B3 is complete through December 03. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 data from GOES-10 are complete through July 04. Production of GOES-10 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 03. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 data from GOES-12 are complete through July 04. Production of GOES-12 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 03. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-5 (at 63E) are complete through September 04. Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through December 03. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-7 are complete through September 04. Production of METEOSAT-7 (preliminary) B3 data is compete through December 03. Final B3 data have been produced through December 03.

A whole month radiance data from the Chinese FY-2B satellite has been obtained to test processing into B3 format.

Deliveries of TOVS correlative data are current. TOVS processing is complete through December 03.

Deliveries of snow/ice correlative data are current. SI processing is complete through December 03.

DX/D1/D2 data processing is complete through December 02. Further testing of the modified cloud detection algorithm, using 1.6 micron radiances over snow and ice surfaces in the daytime polar regions, shows reasonable performance. However, two additional problems have appeared. These are still being investigated, but they seem to be related to two changes that occurred with the advent of NOAA-16. The first change is that the visible channel on this AVHRR has a "bi-linear" response, meaning that the relation between counts and physical radiance is different in two ranges. To date we have processed the data hoping that these two ranges would vary consistently with changes in calibration. So, the first problem (too much cloud cover over oceans and too large cloud optical thicknesses) may be an indicator that this is not so. If we have to adjust the visible calibration in two separate ranges, it will be very difficult. The second problem is that the upper tropospheric temperatures and humidities from the new ATOVS processing that began with NOAA-16 are very different from the previous climatology. This might be an error in our processing, but if it is really the case, it affects all of the cloud type statistics adversely. Processing of D-data has been suspended to investigate these problems.

Tables are available on the ISCCP Web site that provide the up-to-date version numbers for all ISCCP data products. The whole calibration dataset (Stage BT data) and the ancillary map grid dataset that accompanies the gridded data products are available on the ISCCP ftp site. The entire D2 dataset is also available on the ftp site. Browse data now available on the Web site are monthly mean data for July 83 through September 01 and climatology results based on the period July 83 through September 01. The radiance calibration tables have been updated through December 03. The ISCCP World Wide Web Home Page can be accessed at URL

ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):

The ICA at NOAA NCDC continued to receive B1 data from NOA, MSC, EUM, CSU and JMA and B3 and D data from the GPC in a routine manner. A new effort is underway to bring the documentation, formats and READ software for the B1 datasets up to the same level as for the B3 datasets. A prototype version of these data, to be called B1U, is now being examined to test their accuracy and usefulness.

The health of GOES-9, GOES-10, GOES-12, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 remained good. METEOSAT-6 and GOES-11 are in stand-by mode. METEOSAT-8 has continued operations with no further problems. China successfully launched FY-2C on 19 October 04 to replace FY-2B. NOAA-N is now scheduled for launch in February 05.

Stage B3: July 83 - December 03 (20.5 years)

Stage TV: July 83 - December 03 (20.5 years)

Stage SI: July 83 - December 03 (20.5 years)

Stage D: July 83 - September 01 (18.2 years)

Satellite Network

B Level Data Products

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (CSU, MSC = 3 months, EUM = 1 month).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 4 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 246 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for DX/D1/D2 data = 31 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 219 months have been archived.