ISCCP PROJECT STATUS REPORT

NUMBER 273                                                                                                                         DATE: 4/07/06

CENTER ACTIVITIES

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During February, NOA, MSC and JMA processed more than 92% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for February were reported by NOA, MSC and JMA. No report for January and February has been received from EUM and CSU.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for February 06 from GOES-10, GOES-12, FY-2C, METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7. Corrected AC data for MTSAT-1R were received for October 05 and the first AC data from NOAA-18 (AVHRR and HIRS) were received for January 06. BC data for December 05 for METEOSAT-5, METEOSAT-7, GOES-10 and GOES-12 were shipped to the GPC.

Work continues to accommodate the AC data for 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 are current.

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

Deliveries of B2 from GOES-9 (at 155°E) are complete through October 05, the last data. Production of GOES-9 (preliminary) B3 is complete through June 05. Final B3 data have been produced through June 05.

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

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 June 05.

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 June 05.

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 June 05.

Deliveries of B2 data from MTSAT-1R are current.

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.

Deliveries of TOVS correlative data are current. TOVS processing is complete through June 05.

Deliveries of snow/ice correlative data are current. SI processing is complete through June 05.

DX/D1/D2 data processing is complete through June 05. Production of D data will be suspended until the end of this year to accumulate sufficient NOAA-18 data to re-establish the radiance calibration. The opportunity will also be exploited to link the ISCCP calibration to that for MODIS and to compare results with independent analyses for AVHRR and METEOSAT by NOAA and EUMETSAT, respectively.

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 June 05.

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

http://isccp.giss.nasa.gov

A new set of pages has been set up on the GEWEX Radiation Panel web site at http://grp.giss.nasa.gov to provide an overview of the comparisons among about half a dozen global cloud datasets. Investigation of these datasets over the next year or so will provide an evaluation of their accuracy.

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. NCDC has now put the entire DX dataset online.

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 this year to replace GOES-10. The launch of GOES-N has been delayed until sometime in early 06. MTSAT-2 was successfully launched on 18 February 06. METOP-1 launch is scheduled for mid-06. The launch of CloudSat and Calipso is now scheduled for late April 06.

DATA DELIVERED

Stage B3:          July 83 - June 05                                                                            (22.0 years)

Stage TV:         July 83 - June 05                                                                           (22.0 years)

Stage SI:           July 83 - June 05                                                                            (22.0 years)

Stage D:           July 83 - June 05                                                                            (22.0 years)

Satellite Network

B Level Data Products

OPEN ITEMS

* Delivery backlogs for B2 data (CSU = 2 months).

* Delivery backlog for B3 data = 2 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 264 months have been archived.

* Delivery backlog for DX/D1/D2 data = 2 months (with respect to planned schedule). D1/D2 data for 258 months have been archived.