ISCCP Stage D1: Global 3-Hourly Cloud Properties from Satellite Merged Grid

ISCCP_D1_1 contains 3-hourly, 280 km equal-area grid data from polar and geostationary satellites merged into a global grid. The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, established in 1982, produced this data to study cloud properties for climate models and the Earth's radiation budget. Data collection for this set is complete, with primary analysis from 1983-1995 and ongoing analysis from 1995 onward.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing clouds in climate models based on global cloud climatology data
• Analyzing diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations in cloud distribution based on 3-hourly temporal resolution
• Studying the Earth's radiation budget based on spatial averages of cloud and surface properties
• Improving understanding of the global hydrological cycle based on cloud and atmospheric water vapor data

Strengths

• Global coverage achieved by merging data from up to five geostationary and two polar orbiting satellites
• Data collection is complete, providing a finalized historical record
• 280 km equal-area grid resolution provides consistent spatial averaging
• 3-hourly temporal resolution captures diurnal cycles

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the 1983-1995 primary focus period

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Pixel-level analysis of satellite radiances combined with TOVS atmospheric data, summarized onto a global grid.

Time Range

1983 onward

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 01:25:41.933160; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global