Changes in Global Cloud Cover Based on Remote Sensing Data from 2003 to 2012

As is well known,clouds impact the radiative budget,climate change,hydrological processes,and the global carbon,nitrogen and sulfur cycles.To understand the wide-ranging effects of clouds,it is necessary to assess changes in cloud cover at high spatial and temporal resolution.In this study,we calculate global cloud cover during the day and at night using cloud products estimated from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)data.Results indicate that the global mean cloud cover from 2003 to 2012 was 66%.Moreover,global cloud cover increased over this recent decade.Specifically,cloud cover over land areas(especially North America,Antarctica,and Europe)decreased(slope=–0.001,R^2=0.5254),whereas cloud cover over ocean areas(especially the Indian and Pacific Oceans)increased(slope=0.0011,R^2=0.4955).Cloud cover is relatively high between the latitudes of 36°S and 68°S compared to other regions,and cloud cover is lowest over Oceania and Antarctica.The highest rates of increase occurred over Southeast Asia and Oceania,whereas the highest rates of decrease occurred over Antarctica and North America.The global distribution of cloud cover regulates global temperature change,and the trends of these two variables over the 10-year period examined in this study(2003–2012)oppose one another in some regions.These findings are very important for studies of global climate change.

Trends in Global Solar Radiation and Sunshine Duration in Past Two Decades in Japan

Global solar radiation (GSR) is an essential physical quantity for agricultural management and designing infrastructures. Because GSR has often been modeled as a function of sunshine duration (SD) and day length for a given set of locations and calendar days, analyzing interannual trends in GSR and SD is important to evaluate, predict or regulate the cycles of energy and water between geosphere and atmosphere. This study aimed to exemplify interannual trends in GSR and SD, which had been recorded from 2001 to 2022 in 40 meteorological stations in Japan, and validate the applicability of an SD-based model to the evaluation of GSR. Both the measured GSR and SD had increased in many of the stations in the study period with averaged rates of 0.252 [W·m−2·y−1] and 0.015 [h·d−1·y−1], respectively. The offset and the slope of the SD-based model were estimated by fitting the model to the measured data sets and were found to have been almost constant with the averages of 0.201[-] and 0.566[-], respectively, indicating that characteristics of the SD-GSR relation had not varied for the 22-year period and that the model and its parameter set can be stationarily applicable to the analyses and predictions of GSR in recent years. The stable trends in both parameters also implied that the upward trend in SD can be a main explanatory factor for that in the measured GSR. The upward trend in SD had coincided with the increase in the frequency of heavy-shortened rains, suggesting that the time period of each rainfall event had gradually decreased, which may be attributable to the obtained upward trend in SD. Further studies are required to clarify if there is some cause-effect relation between the changes in rainfall patterns and the standard level of solar radiation reaching the land surface.

Observation of clouds and solar radiation over the Pacific Ocean as relation to global climate

During a research cruise over the Pacific Ocean in 1989, solar irradiance was measured with a broad-band pyranometer along the cruise track. Cloud cover was photographed with an all-sky time-lapse came ra. Cloud types were observed and recorded. The data show that both the types and the amounts of clouds affect radiation fluxes on the sea surface. For low-level and middle-level clouds, the correlations (r) between measured irradiance (in Percent of calculated maximum irradiance) and cloud amount (in fraction of sky) were significant: r=-0. 79 and - 0. 66, respectively. For high-level clouds, the correlation was not significant: r=-0. 21. The results indicate that cloud shortwave forcing is a major modifier of the earth's surface insolation and change of cloud amount may affect global climate.

1961—2000年中国太阳辐射区域特征的初步研究

利用中国122个辐射观测站1961—2000年的逐日地面辐射资料,同期729个气象站的逐日云量资料,分析了总辐射、直接辐射和散射辐射年代际距平分布和变化。按照中国地理气候区域的特征并考虑年总辐射,将中国划分为5个不同的辐射区域。分析了各区近40a来总辐射、直接辐射、散射辐射的年际变化。结果表明:①总辐射和直接辐射年曝辐量在1961—1990年之间呈下降趋势,在20世纪80年代达到最低值,以青藏高原西南部地区降幅最明显;在1991—2000年总辐射和直接辐射年曝辐量有回升趋势,其中青藏高原地区回升最显著,但均未达到历史最高水平。5区总辐射近40a来下降率为:-1.24%/10a,-1.66%/10a,-1.60%/10a,-1.89%/10a和-1.93%/10a。②近40a来散射辐射年曝辐量除东北无明显变化外,南疆和青藏高原有降低趋势,而南方有略微增加趋势;通过对云量的分析发现西北地区低云量略增加,而其他地区低云量和总云量都有不同程度的下降趋势,5区总云量近40a来下降率为:-2.99%/10a,-1.68%/10a,-3.10%/10a,-1.17%/10a和-1.01%/10a,低云量变化率为:-1.51%/10a,4.46%/10a,-1.47%/10a,-0.89%/10a和-0.75%/10a。最后对造成辐射长期变化的原因作了初步讨论。

1961～2005年云贵高原太阳辐射变化特征及其影响因子

利用云贵高原1961-2005年9个日射站辐射和气候观测资料以及能见度观测资料等，采用数理统计方法，研究了该区域到达地表太阳总辐射量（以下简称总辐射）变化特征及其影响因子。结果表明：该区年总辐射的空间分布特点是西部高于东部，丽江站最高（6207MJ·m-2·a-1），遵义站最低（3340MJ·m-2·a-1）。1961-2005年间，该区6个站的年总辐射呈年际或年代际变化，但无线性变化趋势（P〉0．1），其余3个站（蒙自、贵阳、遵义）的年总辐射在1960年代至1980年代间呈显著下降趋势（P〈0．001），其后略有增加（蒙自）或增加明显（贵阳）。蒙自总辐射下降的主要原因是能见度降低，遵义下降则与总云量增加和能见度较低有关，贵阳总辐射下降则与总云量增加有关，总云量增加导致日照时数减少。总体而言，1961～2005年云贵高原总辐射的年际变化或年代际变化与总云量及日照时数有关，城市站（昆明、贵阳）日照时数随能见度降低而显著减少。

1960年以来长江流域太阳总辐射的时空变化

基于长江流域147个站点的气象数据,利用气候学计算方法估算1960年以来的太阳总辐射数据,运用线性回归和相关分析等方法,探讨1960年以来太阳总辐射在长江流域的时空变化特征,并分析太阳总辐射的影响因子.结果表明:太阳总辐射在整个长江流域(除去上游源头区金沙江流域)自东向西递减,且上游地区变化波动大,中下游地区下降趋势显著;自1960年以来太阳总辐射在长江流域呈现下降趋势,1990年以后开始呈现上升趋势;近50a来太阳总辐射的减少趋势与云量和大气水汽含量没有显著相关性.

基于全球天气预报系统对河套周边地区低云量精细化预报

基于2008-2013年全球天气预报系统(GFS)预报场资料,构造了30个云预报因子,分析了其与低云量的相关关系,采用多元逐步回归预报方法建立了黄河河套周边地区低云量0~168 h逐小时精细化区域预报,评估了预报模型的预报效果.结果表明,低云量与水汽类因子整层湿度和整层相对湿度具有较强的正相关性;与大气可降水量、低层温度露点差和总温度具有较强的负相关性;与GFS云类预报因子有较强的正相关性.在预报方程中水汽类预报因子和GFS云量因子具有较高的引用频数.多元逐步回归方法低云量预报值与实况的差值明显低于直接使用GFS低云量的预报结果,在夏季逐步回归方法对低云量有较大改进,上半年对低云量的订正效果强于下半年.逐步回归方法对西北部低云量的订正能力高于东南部地区,部分地区的订正能力在20%以上.