International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Climate Data Record, H-Series

The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) focuses on the distribution and variation of cloud radiative properties to improve the understanding of the effects of clouds on climate, the radiation budget, and the long-term global hydrologic cycle.

The ISCCP H-Series Climate Data Record consists of several parts:
(1) ISCCP H-Series dataset,
(2) ISCCP-Basic H-Series, and
(3) Ancillary and input datasets.

ISCCP H Series data
The full ISCCP dataset consists of netCDF files containing various derived cloud parameters. The H-Series data includes several products. These include:
* HXS (H-series pixel level single satellite - not in netcdf),
* HXG (H-series pixel level gridded),
* HGG (H-series Gridded Global),
* HGH (H-series gridded monthly by hour), and
* HGM ( H-series Gridded Monthly).
The netCDF files are not structured with CF-standard names. Data variables are unitless and rely on data tables that are needed to represent each geophysical variable. Keeping ISCCP H-Series in this native format ensures that existing "power users" will be able to continue using the data.

ISCCP Basic H Series
ISCCP Basic files contains a subset of the cloud variables and products available in the full ISCCP dataset. It consists of remapped, calibrated, and subsetted variables following CF-conventions. In addition, the netCDF files follow full netCDF CF and ACDD Conventions. These files are intended to be use by new and/or less advanced users that may want to use cloud data, but do not need the full ISCCP dataset.

Ancillary and Input data
Ancillary and Input data used in the production of ISCCP are also archived. These consist of B1U geostationary satellite data, B1U and GAC calibration/HBT tables, and ancillary files for nnHIRS, AEROSOL, SNOWICE, and OZONE datasets.