ISCCP CATALOG OF DATA AND PRODUCTS Section 7.1

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7.1 CORRELATIVE DATA

The TOVS Sounding Product information is derived from the three TOVS instruments. These instruments consist of the HIRS/2, MSU, and SSU sensors (described in Kidwell 1997), which measure the intensity of the upwelling radiation in the various spectral intervals that correspond to broad layers at various depths in the atmosphere. These radiance measurements are processed into Earth-located, calibrated radiance values, "clear" radiance (radiances corrected for cloud effects and angle of view), estimates of water vapor in three atmospheric layers (converted to precipitable water in these layers), mean temperatures for selected atmospheric layers, tropopause height and temperature estimates, and geopotential thickness of selected atmospheric layers.

The ICA archives Orbit and Attitude data for both GOES-West and GOES-East satellites. These data are generated at 0000Z and 1200Z for each day and stored as separate files for the two satellites. The data are stored on IBM 3480 cartridges (one cartridge/data month).

This navigation information is used by the GPC in producing the B3 version of GOES data. Orbit and Attitude data, usually accompanying GOES data obtained from NOAA, represent predicted data produced 12 hours before the image. The data referred to here represent the actual orbit and attitude determined after the image was taken. The demise of GOES-7 on January 12, 1996, marked the last GOES Orbit and Attitude tape. No further Orbit and Attitude data are being supplied to the GPC because the new GOES system, beginning with GOES-8, does not require it.

Starting with 1992, the sea ice data are obtained from the National Snow and Data Center in Boulder, Colorado. These data are derived from an analysis of satellite microwave measurements.

The Ice/Snow (IS) data set combines the sea ice data from the Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Center and the operational snow product from NOAA/NESDIS. These data were merged and reformatted to a uniform grid compatible with the ISCCP analysis grids, and to uniform time spacing, compatible with the cloud analysis cycle. The ISCCP IS data are represented in two forms: 1) a global equal-area map grid with a cell area equivalent to a one degree latitude/longitude cell at the equator, and 2) a global equal-angle map with one degree increments in latitude and longitude. In addition to containing information concerning fractional coverage of ice/snow data, the IS tapes also contain ancillary data including the cell center longitudes for the equal-area map cells, land/water/coast map, and the mean topographic height map. Refer to Rossow, et al. 1996 for more information concerning the content and format of the IS data. The ISCCP IS data are presented as a series of data sets representing five day intervals starting July 1, 1983 and are archived by the ICA on IBM 3480 cartridges. Each cartridge contains approximately one year of data.

IS-DATA HOLDINGS

       Tape Number                        Date Range (Month/Day/Year)

GPC.IS.0001.2.83184.83364.ISCCP          07/03/1983 12/30/1983
GPC.IS.0007.2.84004.84364.ISCCP          01/04/1984 12/29/1984
GPC.IS.0008.1.85003.85363.ISCCP          01/03/1985 12/29/1985
GPC.IS.0002.2.86003.86363.ISCCP          01/03/1986 12/29/1986
GPC.IS.0009.1.87003.87363.ISCCP          01/03/1987 12/29/1987
GPC.IS.0003.1.88003.88363.ISCCP          01/03/1988 12/28/1988
GPC.IS.0004.1.89002.89362.ISCCP          01/02/1989 12/28/1989
GPC.IS.0005.1.90002.90362.ISCCP          01/02/1990 12/28/1990
GPC.IS.0006.1.91002.91363.ISCCP          01/02/1991 12/29/1991
GPC.IS.0010.0.92002.92362.ISCCP          01/02/1992 12/27/1992
GPC.IS.0011.0.93001.93361.ISCCP          01/01/1993 12/27/1993
GPC.IS.0012.0.94001.94361.ISCCP          01/01/1994 12/27/1994

The ISCCP atmospheric data (TV) set consists of the TOVS Sounding Product produced from NOAA polar orbiters merged with two climatologies to fill the gaps and mapped to the ISCCP grid and vertical coordinates. The climatologies used were the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) temperature/humidity climatology and an ozone climatology from the NIMBUS 4 BUV data. In addition, topographic height data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research is used in the ISCCP atmospheric data set.

The ISCCP atmospheric data are presented as a series of data sets representing daily and complete global coverage, starting on July 1, 1983. There is a data set for every day. The parameters reported for each map cell include pressure and temperature at the surface and tropopause, precipitable water amount and temperature at predefined pressure levels, cloud amount, total ozone abundance, cloud top pressure, and surface height above mean sea level.

Ancillary data include the fraction (in percent) of the surface covered by land for each map grid cell. The ISCCP atmospheric (TV) data sets are archived by the ICA on IBM 3480 cartridges. Each cartridge contains approximately one year of data.

The data are collected into a global equal-area map grid with a cell area equivalent to a 2.5 degree latitude/longitude cell at the equator. The cells are formed by equal increments in latitude and variable longitude increments selected to preserve, approximately, the area of the cell and to provide an integer number of cells in a latitude zone. The data are also presented in a global equal-angle map with 2.5 degree increments in latitude and longitude. Detailed documentation on these data can be found in Rossow et al. 1996.

TV-DATA HOLDINGS

       Tape Number                        Date Range (Month/Day/Year)

GPC.TV.0001.3.83182.83365.ISCCP          07/01/1983 12/31/1983
GPC.TV.0002.3.84001.84366.ISCCP          01/01/1984 12/31/1984
GPC.TV.0003.3.85001.85365.ISCCP          01/01/1985 12/31/1985
GPC.TV.0004.3.86001.86365.ISCCP          01/01/1986 12/31/1986
GPC.TV.0005.3.87001.87365.ISCCP          01/01/1987 12/31/1987
GPC.TV.0006.3.88001.88366.ISCCP          01/01/1988 12/31/1988
GPC.TV.0007.3.89001.89365.ISCCP          01/01/1989 12/31/1989
GPC.TV.0008.3.90001.90365.ISCCP          01/01/1990 12/31/1990
GPC.TV.0009.2.91001.91365.ISCCP          01/01/1991 12/31/1991
GPC.TV.0010.1.92001.92366.ISCCP          01/01/1992 12/31/1992
GPC.TV.0011.1.93001.93365.ISCCP          01/01/1993 12/31/1993
GPC.TV.0012.0.94001.94365.ISCCP          01/01/1994 12/31/1994
GPC.TV.0013.0.95001.95365.ISCCP          01/01/1995 12/31/1995
GPC.TV.0014.0.96001.96366.ISCCP          01/01/1996 12/31/1996
GPC.TV.0015.0.97001.97365.ISCCP          01/01/1997 12/31/1997