ISCCP CATALOG OF DATA AND PRODUCTS Section 4

Table of Contents, Acronyms, Previous Section, Next Section

4. B3-DATA DESCRIPTION AND HOLDINGS

The B3-data set represents the final stage of processing before the conversion from satellite radiances to cloud parameters is made. The Global Processing Center (GPC), which is the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), produces the B3-data sets.

The GPC receives operational satellite radiance data (B2), plus navigation and calibration information from the designated SPCs and radiance calibration/normalization coefficients (BC) from the SCC. The GPC navigates, calibrates and applies normalization coefficients (BC) to the satellite radiance data (B2) to produce the B3-data product. The GPC also monitors the long-term calibration of the NOAA AVHRR radiometers and normalizes all of them to the NOAA-9 satellite (previously in the first version, NOAA-7 was used).

B3-data are the normalized satellite visible and infrared radiances with a nominal resolution of 30 km every three hours. The data for each satellite are recorded in image array formats in the original satellite coordinates, but each radiance pixel pair (more spectral channels are included if available) is labeled by its latitude, longitude, solar and satellite zenith angles, and the azimuth angle difference between the sun and satellite position vectors.

The B3 radiance data set produced by the GPC and shipped to the ICA consist of two IBM 3480 cartridges per geostationary satellite and four cartridges per polar orbiter satellite per month. The images are arranged in chronological order from 0000 UTC on the first day of the month through 2100 UTC on the last day of the month.

For more information concerning B3 data, refer to Schiffer and Rossow 1985, Rossow et al. 1987a and Rossow et al. 1996c.