science

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project rather than just read about it. In short: The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) was established as the first project of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). Since its inception in 1982, there have been two phases: 1983–1995 and 1995–2009.

Key takeaways

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) was established as the first project of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). Since its inception in 1982, there have been two phases: 1983–1995 and 1995–2009. The project is responsible for collecting and analysing satellite radiance measurements of weather. It infers clouds' global distribution and properties, along with their diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations. The results are studied to understand clouds in the climate, including their effects on radiative energy exchanges and their role in the global water cycle. These datasets provide a systematic view of cloud behavior. The ISCCP headquarters were located at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. ISCCP data is stored at the ISCCP Central Archive and at NASA. While the data are typically used for climate studies, they are also a valuable resource for astronomical pursuits. ISCCP was headed by William B. Rossow. Since 1983, institutions around the world have collected and analyzed satellite radiance measurements from two polar orbiting and five geostationary satellites.

Objectives The goals and objectives of the ISCCP have included:

"Produce a global, reduced-resolution, calibrated and normalized, infrared and visible radiance dataset, along with basic information on the radiative properties of the atmosphere, from which cloud parameters can be derived. Coordinate basic research on techniques for inferring the physical properties of clouds from satellite radiance data. Derive and validate a global cloud climatology. Promote research using ISCCP data to improve cloud parameterizations in climate models. Improve understanding of the earth’s radiation budget (top-of-atmosphere and surface) and hydrological cycle."

Criticism Some scientists suggest that the decreasing trends in the ISCCP data are "satellite viewing geometry artifacts" and that the data may not be appropriate for some long-term global studies.

See also Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

References

Further reading Evan, A. T., Heidinger, A. K., & Vimont, D. J. (2007). "Arguments against a physical long-term trend in global ISCCP cloud amounts (DOI 10.1029/2006GL028083)". Geophysical Research Letters. 34 (4), L04701. ISSN 0094-8276 Knapp, K. R. (2008). "Calibration Assessment of ISCCP Geostationary Infrared Observations Using HIRS". Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 25 (2), 183-195. ISSN 0739-0572 Meinke, I. (2006). "A Comparison of Simulated Clouds to ISCCP Data". Monthly Weather Review. 134 (6), 1669-1681. ISSN 0027-0644 Rossow, W.B., Y. Desormeaux, C.L. Brest, and A. Walker (1992): International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Radiance Calibration Report. WMO/TD 520. World Climate Research Programme. Rossow, W.B., and R.A. Schiffer (1999): "Advances in understanding clouds from ISCCP". Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 80, 2261-2288, doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1999)080<2261:AIUCFI>2.0.CO;2. Schiffer, R.A., and W.B. Rossow (1983): "The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP): The first project of the World Climate Research Programme". Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 64, 779-784. Tsuang, B.-J., Chou, M.-D., Zhang, Y., Roesch, A., & Yang, K. (2008). "Evaluations of Land-Ocean Skin Temperatures of the ISCCP Satellite Retrievals and the NCEP and ERA Reanalyses". Journal of Climate. 21 (2), 308-330. ISSN 0894-8755

External links Official website Data sets FIRE (First ISCCP Regional Experiment) GIBBS (Global ISCCP B1 Browse System, 1974-2008) Monthly means

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project

In research: International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Climatological research, Clouds, Scientific organizations established in 1982, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project in simple terms?

Why does International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project.