Cloud Properties from ISCCP and PATMOS-x Corrected for Spurious Variability Related to Changes in Satellite Orbits, Instrument Calibrations, and Other Factors

A post hoc empirical correction procedure has been applied to grid box anomalies in total cloud amount from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) dataset and the Pathfinder Atmospheres - Extended (PATMOS-x) dataset to remove spurious variability related to changes in satellite orbit, instrument calibration, and other factors. The corrected satellite cloud datasets are useful for investigation of regional cloud changes but can not be used for studies of globally averaged cloud change because the methods employed remove any real cloud variability occurring on global scales together with spurious variability. Also note that the correction procedure does not remove spatial biases in climatological mean cloud properties. The available corrected data include monthly anomalies in total cloud amount on a 2.5 degree by 2.5 degree grid for the time period 1983-2009 (the first six months of 1983 are not available for ISCCP). No data are available poleward of 60 degree latitude due to difficulty in accurately retrieving cloud properties over cold, bright surfaces.

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Temporal Range

  • Begin:  1983-01-15T1200+00
    End:  2009-12-15T1200+00

Keywords

Resource Type dataset
Temporal Range Begin 1983-01-15T1200+00
Temporal Range End 2009-12-15T1200+00
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat 90.0
Bounding Box South Lat -90.0
Bounding Box West Long -180.0
Bounding Box East Long 180.0
Spatial Representation grid
Spatial Resolution 2.5 degree
Related Links N/A
Additional Information N/A
Resource Format NetCDF
Standardized Resource Format NetCDF
Asset Size 26.89 MB
Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Access Constraints None
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name N/A
Resource Support Email datahelp@ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization N/A
Distributor NSF NCAR Geoscience Data Exchange
Metadata Contact Name N/A
Metadata Contact Email datahelp@ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization NSF NCAR Geoscience Data Exchange

Author Norris, Joel R.
Evan, Amato T.
Publisher NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research
Publication Date 2015-02-02
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) https://doi.org/10.5065/D62J68XR
Alternate Identifier d741005
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere
Progress completed
Metadata Date 2025-10-09T01:29:10Z
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.gdex::d741005
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Norris, Joel R., Evan, Amato T.. (2015). Cloud Properties from ISCCP and PATMOS-x Corrected for Spurious Variability Related to Changes in Satellite Orbits, Instrument Calibrations, and Other Factors. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research. https://doi.org/10.5065/D62J68XR. Accessed 12 October 2025.

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