The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) project are pleased to announce the release of the "History of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project", a report authored by William B. Rossow, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the City College of New York.
40 years ago, the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) was launched to collect and analyze global satellite observations of Earth’s clouds for climate research. This report covers the planning and inception of ISCCP and its evolution, including two version updates: the first led to better understanding of cloud types and their vertical structures, and the second helped to support cloud process studies by taking advantage of advances in satellite measurements. The current conceptual framework of the project now aims to understand the full role of clouds in weather and climate variation. Possible uses of the data and a new direction for ISCCP are also discussed. To read the report, click here.