Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A

Cloud is an important factor affecting climate change, playing a crucial role in controlling the Earth’s energy and water cycle. In this study, total cloud cover (TCC) from the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) and the Internatio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yong Zeng, Lianmei Yang, Zepeng Tong, Yufei Jiang, Abuduwaili Abulikemu, Yushu Zhou, Xinyu Lu, Wei Li, Jiangang Li, Jing Liu, Xiaomeng Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/adme/5002403
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849470471095975936
author Yong Zeng
Lianmei Yang
Zepeng Tong
Yufei Jiang
Abuduwaili Abulikemu
Yushu Zhou
Xinyu Lu
Wei Li
Jiangang Li
Jing Liu
Xiaomeng Li
author_facet Yong Zeng
Lianmei Yang
Zepeng Tong
Yufei Jiang
Abuduwaili Abulikemu
Yushu Zhou
Xinyu Lu
Wei Li
Jiangang Li
Jing Liu
Xiaomeng Li
author_sort Yong Zeng
collection DOAJ
description Cloud is an important factor affecting climate change, playing a crucial role in controlling the Earth’s energy and water cycle. In this study, total cloud cover (TCC) from the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) and the International Satellite Cloud Climate Project H-series (ISCCP) were compared with those from the Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) aboard Fengyun4A (FY4A) and ground observations (OBS), revealing the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of TCC in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), northwest China. The findings indicate that the interannual fluctuations in the annual mean TCC from OBS in Xinjiang exhibit no discernible trend, while those based on ERA5 and ISCCP demonstrate a decline. The TCC from FY4A and ISCCP shows a distribution pattern of high in the south and low in the north, whereas the opposite is true for that from OBS and ERA5. For all ground observation stations, the mean values of TCC from ERA5, OBS, FY4A, and ISCCP are 45.9%, 49.1%, 49.5%, and 63.0%, respectively. At the majority of ground observation stations (with the exception of those in southwest Xinjiang), the discrepancy between the TCCs from FY4A and those from OBS (ERA5) is less than 10%. However, at the majority of stations in north Xinjiang, the TCCs from ISCCP are more than 10% larger than those from FY4A. Furthermore, there are discernible discrepancies in the frequency of occurrence and spatial distribution of distinct cloud types. The findings of this study serve to enhance the comprehension of the spatiotemporal characteristics of TCC in Xinjiang, northwest China, thereby facilitating the more effective application of FY4A in arid regions.
format Article
id doaj-art-1a7a9a56e03441ffbc1db1e67403bb46
institution Kabale University
issn 1687-9317
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Advances in Meteorology
spelling doaj-art-1a7a9a56e03441ffbc1db1e67403bb462025-08-20T03:25:08ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93172025-01-01202510.1155/adme/5002403Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4AYong Zeng0Lianmei Yang1Zepeng Tong2Yufei Jiang3Abuduwaili Abulikemu4Yushu Zhou5Xinyu Lu6Wei Li7Jiangang Li8Jing Liu9Xiaomeng Li10Institute of Desert MeteorologyInstitute of Desert MeteorologyInstitute of Desert MeteorologyInstitute of Desert MeteorologyXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis EcologyLaboratory of Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Severe StormsInstitute of Desert MeteorologyXinjiang Meteorological ObservatoryInstitute of Desert MeteorologyInstitute of Desert MeteorologyInstitute of Desert MeteorologyCloud is an important factor affecting climate change, playing a crucial role in controlling the Earth’s energy and water cycle. In this study, total cloud cover (TCC) from the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) and the International Satellite Cloud Climate Project H-series (ISCCP) were compared with those from the Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) aboard Fengyun4A (FY4A) and ground observations (OBS), revealing the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of TCC in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), northwest China. The findings indicate that the interannual fluctuations in the annual mean TCC from OBS in Xinjiang exhibit no discernible trend, while those based on ERA5 and ISCCP demonstrate a decline. The TCC from FY4A and ISCCP shows a distribution pattern of high in the south and low in the north, whereas the opposite is true for that from OBS and ERA5. For all ground observation stations, the mean values of TCC from ERA5, OBS, FY4A, and ISCCP are 45.9%, 49.1%, 49.5%, and 63.0%, respectively. At the majority of ground observation stations (with the exception of those in southwest Xinjiang), the discrepancy between the TCCs from FY4A and those from OBS (ERA5) is less than 10%. However, at the majority of stations in north Xinjiang, the TCCs from ISCCP are more than 10% larger than those from FY4A. Furthermore, there are discernible discrepancies in the frequency of occurrence and spatial distribution of distinct cloud types. The findings of this study serve to enhance the comprehension of the spatiotemporal characteristics of TCC in Xinjiang, northwest China, thereby facilitating the more effective application of FY4A in arid regions.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/adme/5002403
spellingShingle Yong Zeng
Lianmei Yang
Zepeng Tong
Yufei Jiang
Abuduwaili Abulikemu
Yushu Zhou
Xinyu Lu
Wei Li
Jiangang Li
Jing Liu
Xiaomeng Li
Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
Advances in Meteorology
title Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
title_full Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
title_fullStr Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
title_full_unstemmed Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
title_short Total Cloud Cover in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China: A Comparison of ERA5 and ISCCP With FY4A
title_sort total cloud cover in xinjiang uygur autonomous region northwest china a comparison of era5 and isccp with fy4a
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/adme/5002403
work_keys_str_mv AT yongzeng totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT lianmeiyang totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT zepengtong totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT yufeijiang totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT abuduwailiabulikemu totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT yushuzhou totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT xinyulu totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT weili totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT jiangangli totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT jingliu totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a
AT xiaomengli totalcloudcoverinxinjianguygurautonomousregionnorthwestchinaacomparisonofera5andisccpwithfy4a