ISCCP CATALOG OF DATA AND PRODUCTS Section 1.4

ISCCP CATALOG OF DATA AND PRODUCTS

Section 1.4

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1.4 ISCCP TAPE NUMBER CONVENTION

All ISCCP tapes contain a Volume ID file as the first file on tape. This file is one record in length and provides a complete description of the tape contents in ASCII. The first 80 bytes of the Volume ID file are the tape number, which identifies the contents and source of the data tape. The following example shows the format of the ISCCP convention for tape numbers:

PPP.DD.NNNN.V.YYDDD.YYDDD.SSSSS where:

PPP = Producer of the data (GPC, EUM, CSU, UWS, JMA, NOA, AES)

DD = Data type (B1, B2, B3, BT, C1, C2, D1, D2, DX, IS, TV, etc.)

NNNN = Tape sequence number, starting with 0001

V = Tape version number, starting with 0

YYDDD = Year and Julian day of first data set on tape

YYDDD = Year and Julian day of last data set on tape

SSSSS = Satellite or project producing the data (NOAA-7, NOAA-8, NOAA-9, NOAA-10, NOAA-11,

NOAA-12, NOAA-14, METEO-2, METEO-3, METEO-4, METEO-5, METEO-6, METEO-7,
GOES-5, GOES-6, GOES-7, GOES-8, GOES-9, GOES-10, GMS-1, GMS-2, GMS-3, GMS-4, GMS-5,
ISCCP)

These ISCCP tape numbers are used throughout this Catalog to identify each data tape archived at the ICA (and other ISCCP data held elsewhere). When ordering any ISCCP data from the ICA, it is suggested that the tapes be referred to by these ISCCP tape numbers.

It is important to note that ISCCP data sets are much smaller in volume than conventional satellite data, thus allowing much more data to be stored on a computer compatible tape (CCT). The volume of B3 data ranges from two IBM 3480 cartridges/month for geostationary satellites to four 3480 cartridges/month for the NOAA polar orbiters. Only two cartridges are required to hold a month's worth of D1 data and a year's worth of D2 data will fit on one cartridge.


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