ISCCP PROJECT STATUS REPORT

NUMBER 269                                                                         DATE: 12/07/05

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During October, NOA processed more than 99% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for October were reported by NOA. No reports have been received from EUM for July, August, September and October. Reports were received from CSU for August and September but not for October. JMA is transitioning from GOES-9 to MTSAT-1R but no report was received for October. All centers, except MSC, participated in the WGDMA meeting and reported on status there (see below). Contact with MSC was been made; a change of personnel and re-organization has delayed reporting but not data deliveries.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for October 05 from METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-9, GOES-10, and GOES-12 but not for NOAA-16 (AVHRR and HIRS). AC for MTSAT-1R will be needed for October instead of the data from GOES-9. BC data for August 05 for METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-9, GOES-10 and GOES-12 were shipped to the GPC.

Work continues to accommodate the AC data for MTSAT-1R, FY-2C and MSG (METEOSAT-8).

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-18 commenced with June 05 and are current.

Deliveries of B2 data from NOAA-16 are current; it was decided at the WGDMA meeting to end NOAA-16 deliveries with December 05. Production of NOAA-16 (preliminary) B3 is complete through October 05. Final B3 data have been produced through June 05.

Deliveries of B2 data from NOAA-17 are current. Production of NOAA-17 (preliminary) B3 is complete through October 05. Final B3 data have been produced through June 05.

Deliveries of B2 from GOES-9 (at 155°E) are current; the last data are for September 05. Production of GOES-9 (preliminary) B3 is complete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through December 04.

Deliveries of B2 data from GOES-10 are current. Production of GOES-10 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through December 04.

Deliveries of B2 data from GOES-12 are current. Production of GOES-12 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through December 04.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-5 (at 63°E) are current. Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is complete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through December 04.

Deliveries of B2 data from METEOSAT-7 are current. Production of METEOSAT-7 (preliminary) B3 data is compete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through December 04.

Deliveries of B2 data from FY-2C have been made for August through October 05.

Delivery of FY-2C data via Internet has encountered problems that appear to be caused by a too-slow connection with China; this is being investigated. The formatter software for FY-2C is finished but the navigation subroutine is still being tested. The formatter software for MTSAT and METEOSAT-8 is complete.

Deliveries of TOVS correlative data are current. TOVS processing is complete through December 04.

Deliveries of snow/ice correlative data are current. SI processing is complete through December 04.

DX/D1/D2 data processing is complete through December 04. The processing of the cloud particle size survey has been completed for the whole ISCCP period (actually from September 81 thru December 04), but some analysis of the results is still needed to design the final product before its release.

The online bibliography of papers based on ISCCP datasets has been updated through December 04; over 1000 ISCCP-related papers have been published.

The cloud climatology plots and browse data, the BT and D2 holdings on the ftp site, the radiance calibration and product version number tables have all been updated through December 04.

A new product has been released on the web site that provides a classification of each location and time for the whole tropics (+ 15° latitude) based on distinctive patterns in the joint distribution of cloud top pressure and optical thickness. This “cluster” analysis has identified six “weather states” that describe the variations of the tropical cloudiness. The classification covers the whole ISCCP record from July 1983 through December 2004. The software for cluster analysis of model output is also provided. A paper will appear shortly in GRL describing this product.

The ISCCP World Wide Web Home Page can be accessed at URL

http://isccp.giss.nasa.gov

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.

WGDMA MEETING

The meeting of the Working Group on Data Management and Analysis (joint working group for GEWEX global data projects) was held on 14-17 November at EUMETSAT in Darmstadt, Germany. All centers, except MSC but including CMA, participated and reported that their status as nominal. All aspects of ISCCP activities were reviewed. Key decisions taken included switching archived radiances from 8-bit to 10-bit during the first half of 06 and trying to change the cloud product production from B2 to B1 radiances to provide improved sampling. Also, the transition dates for several satellite series were decided: GOES-9 switches to MTSAT-1R in October 05; NOAA-16 switches to NOAA-18 in July 05 and METEOSAT-7 switches to METEOSAT-8 in January 06. Since parallel deliveries of NOAA-16 and 18 will continue through December 05; a special effort will be made to process BC data for all geostationary satellites using both polar orbiters to provide a more solid transition of calibration than ever possible before. Also, to provide more connection between METEOSAT-7 and METEOSAT-8, BC will be produced for both during the overlap period from July 04 through December 05. Current plans call for a switch-over from METEOSAT-8 to METEOSAT-9 in mid-06 and from METEOSAT-5 to METEOSAT-7 at the beginning of 07.

SATELLITE HEALTH

The health of GOES-10, GOES-12, MTSAT-1R, METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, FY-2C, NOAA-17 and NOAA-18 remained good. METEOSAT-8 is also operating routinely. METEOSAT-6 and GOES-11 are in stand-by mode; GOES-11 may be activated next year to replace GOES-10. The launch of GOES-N has been delayed again until no earlier than February 06. MSG-2 launch has been re-scheduled for December 05. The launch of ALOS is scheduled for February 06 and of METOP-1 in mid-06. The launch of CloudSat and Calipso has been delayed until no earlier than February 06..

DATA DELIVERED

Stage B3:          July 83 - December 04                                                                   (21.5 years)

Stage TV:         July 83 - December 04                                                                  (21.5 years)

Stage SI:           July 83 - December 04                                                                   (21.5 years)

Stage D:           July 83 - December 04                                                                   (21.5 years)

OPEN ITEMS

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

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 4 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 258 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for DX/D1/D2 data = 4 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 258 months have been archived.