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Please note that ISCCP data processing is now performed at NOAA/NCEI.
Visit the NOAA/NCEI website for access to ISCCP H data products and other up-to-date information.

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project

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ISCCP Data Products

Reduced Resolution Radiance Data (B3)

  • Resolution: 30km pixel, 3hr, individual satellites
  • Volume: 1.1Gb per data month, for global coverage
  • Contents: Radiances with calibration and navigation appended. Uniform format for all satellites.
  • See data set version table.

Calibration Table Data Set (BT)

  • Resolution: 3hr, individual satellites
  • Volume: 7Gb for 8 years
  • Contents: Updates of calibration tables for B3 data set.
  • See data set version table.

Radiance data (ISCCP B1U)

  • Resolution: 10Km pixel,3hr, individual satellites
  • Volume: Variable: 18GB to 110GB/year for global coverage
  • Contents: Radiances with calibration and navigation appended. Uniform format for all satellites..
  • See data set description paper.

Ice/Snow Data Set (IS)

  • Resolution: 150km equal-area grid, 5-days, global
  • Volume: ~3Mb per data year
  • Contents: 5-day averages of snow and sea ice fractional coverage deduced from ship/shore station reports and satellite visible, infrared, and microwave imagery data.
  • See data set version table.
  • See map grid information page.

TOVS Data Set (TV)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, daily, global
  • Volume: ~72Mb per data year
  • Contents: Atmosphere and surface data including temperature structure, water, and ozone abundances obtained from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounding Product and supplemented by two climatologies.
  • See data set version table.
  • See map grid information page.

Pixel Level Cloud Product - Revised algorithm (DX)

  • Resolution: 30km mapped pixel, 3 hr, individual satellites
  • Volume: 5Gb per data month
  • Contents: Calibrated radiances, cloud detection results, cloud and surface properties from radiative analysis. See list of variables and definitions.
  • See data set version table.

Gridded Cloud Product (C1)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: 216Mb per data month
  • Contents: Spatial averages of pixel-level results and statistical summaries. Satellites are merged into a global grid. Atmosphere and surface properties from TOVS appended.
  • See map grid information page.

Gridded Cloud Product - Revised algorithm (D1)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: 320Mb per data month
  • Contents: Spatial averages of DX quantities and statistical summaries, including properties of cloud types. Satellites are merged into a global grid. Atmosphere and surface properties from TOVS appended. See list of variables and definitions.
  • See data set version table.
  • See map grid information page.

Climatological Summary Product (C2)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, monthly, global
  • Volume: 4Mb per data month
  • Contents: Monthly average of C1 quantities including mean diurnal cycle. Distribution and properties of total cloudiness and cloud types.
  • See map grid information page.

Climatological Summary Product - Revised algorithm (D2)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, monthly, global
  • Volume: 7.5Mb per data month
  • Contents: Monthly average of D1 quantities including mean diurnal cycle. Distribution and properties of total cloudiness and cloud types. See list of variables and definitions.
  • See browse page to sample ISCCP D2 data.
  • See data set version table.
  • See map grid information page.

Climatological Summary Product (FD-TOA)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~60Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components at TOA. Total of 20 output parameters.
  • FD-TOA is available for download through our website.
  • See map grid information page.

Climatological Summary Product (FD-SRF)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~70Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components at SRF. Total of 25 output parameters.
  • FD-SRF is available for download through our website.
  • See map grid information page.

Climatological Summary Product (FD-PRF)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~205Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components for PRF (TOA and SRF inclusive). Total of 81 output parameters.
  • FD-PRF is available for download through our website.
  • See map grid information page.

Input flux data (FD-INP)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~205Mb per data month.
  • Contents: Complete input variables used in flux calculation
  • FD-INP is available for download through our website.

Climatological Summary Product (FD-MPF)

  • Resolution: 280km equal-area grid, monthly, global
  • Volume: ~0.83Mb per data month
  • Contents: Radiatively linearly averaged monthly-mean FD-PRF. Total of 81 output parameters.
  • FD-MPF is available for download through our website.
  • See browse page to sample ISCCP FD SRF and TOA monthly-averaged data.
  • Mapped FD-TOA and FD-SRF data are also available for for download through our website.
  • See map grid information page.

Stage H Products

Climatological Summary Product (FH-TOA)

  • Resolution: 110 km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~720 Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components at TOA. Total of 23 output parameters in NetCDF-4 format.
  • FH-TOA is available for download through our website.

Climatological Summary Product (FH-SRF)

  • Resolution: 110 km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~1,116 Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components at SRF. Total of 34 output parameters in NetCDF-4 format.
  • FH-SRF is available for download through our website.

Climatological Summary Product (FH-PRF)

  • Resolution: 110 km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: ~2,980 Mb per data month
  • Contents: All the radiative flux components for PRF (TOA and SRF inclusive). Total of 91 output parameters in NetCDF-4 format.
  • FH-PRF is available for download through our website.

Input flux data (FH-INP)

  • Resolution: 110km equal-area grid, 3hr, global
  • Volume: up to 6,744 Mb per data month.
  • Contents: Complete input variables used in flux calculation. Total of up to 335 parameters in Binary format.
  • FH-INP is available for download through our website.

Climatological Summary Product (FH-MPF)

  • Resolution: 110 km equal-area grid, monthly, global
  • Volume: ~12 Mb per data month
  • Contents: Radiatively linearly averaged monthly-mean FH-PRF. Total of 91 output parameters in NetCDF-4 format.
  • FH-MPF is available for download through our website.

Project Description | Cloud Data & Products | Documentation