Publications

Zhao, CF; Chen, YY; Li, JM; Letu, HS; Su, YF; Chen, TM; Wu, XL (2019). Fifteen-year statistical analysis of cloud characteristics over China using Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer observations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, 39(5), 2612-2629.

Abstract
Using 15-year observations obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board both NASA Terra and Aqua from March 2003 to February 2018, this study investigated the spatio-temporal variations of both macro- and micro-physical cloud properties over China, including cloud fraction (CF), cloud top pressure (CTP), cloud top temperature (CTT), cloud optical thickness (COT), and effective radius (r(e)) of both liquid water and ice clouds. Multi-year averaged CF is around 61% over whole China region. However, CF varies with both regions and seasons. The CFs are about 6-8% larger in summer and winter (64-65%) than in spring and autumn (58%). By classifying China into five regimes, which are northwestern China (NW), northeastern China (NE), Tibetan Plateau (TP), northern China (N), and southern China (S), there is a clear CF regional distribution pattern. In general, there are large amount of clouds in S and southeast of TP, and small amount in NE, N, NW and most TP. Moreover, there are generally more clouds over ocean than over land, and much more clouds over S than over N. The CFs are larger (smaller) in the afternoon than in the morning over most land (ocean) regions. Furthermore, the largest CF differences between afternoon and morning occur over the TP region in China. COT demonstrates almost the same regional distribution pattern as the CF for all four seasons. Specifically, COT is higher in S than in N, which is most likely associated with the type of clouds and the availability of water vapour. Cloud r(e) shows larger values in NW and TP than in eastern China regions in all seasons except for summer, which could be related to the heavy aerosol pollution in eastern China regions. Accompanying with the cold cloud tops over TP, a low CTP centre is often located there.

DOI:
10.1002/joc.5975

ISSN:
0899-8418