GMS Satellite Cloud Data for ISCCP, 1983-1985

July 1983 to June 1985 data from Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS), supporting the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). It contains satellite observations for two distinct periods: July 1983-June 1984 and October 1984-June 1985. The data was collected by the SCIOPS organization.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud cover trends and variability over the Western Pacific region using geostationary satellite imagery.
• Calibrating or validating cloud detection algorithms for the ISCCP using GMS B1 spectral channel data.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal cloud cycles from a fixed longitudinal perspective provided by the GMS satellite.

Strengths

• Covers two multi-year observation periods totaling nearly 24 months of data.
• Provides geostationary perspective for consistent temporal sampling of a specific region.
• Data is curated for a major international climatology project (ISCCP), ensuring a defined scientific purpose.

Limitations

• Data is over 35 years old and may not reflect current atmospheric conditions.
• Limited to the field of view of a single geostationary satellite, introducing geographic bias.
• Specific data parameters, resolution, and preprocessing details are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS), via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing.

Time Range

July 1983 to June 1984 and October 1984 to June 1985.

Freshness

null

Geography

Field of view of the GMS satellite, covering the Western Pacific and East Asia region.