NUMBER 258 DATE: 01/07/05

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During November, NOA, EUM and JMA processed more than 99% of A data into B1/B2 data. EUM processed more than 98% of A data into B1/B2 in October.

Normal operations for November were reported by NOA, EUM and JMA. No reports were received from CSU. The solution to the problem with the MSC conversion of 10-bit counts to 8-bit counts is now being tested. 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 November 04 from METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-9, GOES-10, GOES-12 but not from NOAA-16 (AVHRR and HIRS). BC data for September 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. 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 current. 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 current. 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. An error in the processing of TOVS based on the new NOAA ATOVS has been discovered: essentially the upper atmosphere and near-surface layer temperatures were not interpolated to the ISCCP pressure intervals correctly, introducing small, but noticeable, changes in the temperature climatology. These errors have been corrected and re-processing of the data is underway.

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. The problems related to the changeover from NOAA-14 to NOAA-16 (sudden increase of cloud amount and optical thickness) are still being investigated. The working hypothesis is that both effects are caused by an incorrect visible calibration. Processing of D-data is still suspended.

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 and NOAA-17 remained good. METEOSAT-6 and GOES-11 are in stand-by mode. Both the AVHRR and HIRS instruments on NOAA-16 are experiencing noticeable noise that degrades data quality. NOAA-N is now scheduled for launch in February 05. MSG-2 launch is now scheduled for June 05 and METOP-1 launch is scheduled for April 06. PARASOL was successfully launched into the "A-train" constellation on 18 December 04.

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 = 4 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 5 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 246 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for DX/D1/D2 data = 32 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 219 months have been archived.