Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing

Cloud distribution significantly impacts global climate change, ecosystem health, urban environments, and satellite remote sensing observations. However, past research has primarily focused on the meteorological characteristics of clouds with limitations in scale and resolution, leading to an insuff...

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Main Authors: Jing Ling, Rui Liu, Shan Wei, Shaomei Chen, Luyan Ji, Yongchao Zhao, Hongsheng Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843224006101
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author Jing Ling
Rui Liu
Shan Wei
Shaomei Chen
Luyan Ji
Yongchao Zhao
Hongsheng Zhang
author_facet Jing Ling
Rui Liu
Shan Wei
Shaomei Chen
Luyan Ji
Yongchao Zhao
Hongsheng Zhang
author_sort Jing Ling
collection DOAJ
description Cloud distribution significantly impacts global climate change, ecosystem health, urban environments, and satellite remote sensing observations. However, past research has primarily focused on the meteorological characteristics of clouds with limitations in scale and resolution, leading to an insufficient understanding of large-scale cloud distribution and its relationship with land surface cover and urbanization. This study investigates the cloud distribution characteristics of typical urban agglomerations in different climatic regions of China using high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the Google Earth Engine platform. A cloud probability descriptor was constructed based on three years of high spatiotemporal resolution observations. The results revealed significant differences in cloud distribution among urban agglomerations, challenging the traditional understanding based on climate zoning. The Northeast urban agglomeration in the temperate zone exhibited high cloud coverage (37.54%), while the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration in the subtropical zone and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau urban agglomeration in the plateau climate zone had even higher average cloud probabilities (50.72% and 43.27%, respectively). The analysis suggests land surface cover, urbanization, and other surface factors may influence cloud distribution patterns. These findings emphasize the ubiquity of cloud cover and highlight the importance of considering the complex interactions among geographical factors when characterizing cloud cover diversity. This study contributes to providing new insights for enhancing meteorological models and remote sensing observation strategies in cloudy environments across different climate zones.
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issn 1569-8432
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
spelling doaj-art-bac311dad34a427e8d48122e0dc999b42025-08-20T02:52:23ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322024-12-0113510425410.1016/j.jag.2024.104254Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensingJing Ling0Rui Liu1Shan Wei2Shaomei Chen3Luyan Ji4Yongchao Zhao5Hongsheng Zhang6Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Information Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China; The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, ChinaAerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaAerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China; Corresponding author.Cloud distribution significantly impacts global climate change, ecosystem health, urban environments, and satellite remote sensing observations. However, past research has primarily focused on the meteorological characteristics of clouds with limitations in scale and resolution, leading to an insufficient understanding of large-scale cloud distribution and its relationship with land surface cover and urbanization. This study investigates the cloud distribution characteristics of typical urban agglomerations in different climatic regions of China using high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the Google Earth Engine platform. A cloud probability descriptor was constructed based on three years of high spatiotemporal resolution observations. The results revealed significant differences in cloud distribution among urban agglomerations, challenging the traditional understanding based on climate zoning. The Northeast urban agglomeration in the temperate zone exhibited high cloud coverage (37.54%), while the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration in the subtropical zone and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau urban agglomeration in the plateau climate zone had even higher average cloud probabilities (50.72% and 43.27%, respectively). The analysis suggests land surface cover, urbanization, and other surface factors may influence cloud distribution patterns. These findings emphasize the ubiquity of cloud cover and highlight the importance of considering the complex interactions among geographical factors when characterizing cloud cover diversity. This study contributes to providing new insights for enhancing meteorological models and remote sensing observation strategies in cloudy environments across different climate zones.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843224006101Cloud distribution characteristicsClimate changeRemote sensing observationUrbanizationLand coverSubtropical
spellingShingle Jing Ling
Rui Liu
Shan Wei
Shaomei Chen
Luyan Ji
Yongchao Zhao
Hongsheng Zhang
Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
Cloud distribution characteristics
Climate change
Remote sensing observation
Urbanization
Land cover
Subtropical
title Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
title_full Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
title_fullStr Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
title_full_unstemmed Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
title_short Cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in China based on Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing
title_sort cloud probability distribution of typical urban agglomerations in china based on sentinel 2 satellite remote sensing
topic Cloud distribution characteristics
Climate change
Remote sensing observation
Urbanization
Land cover
Subtropical
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843224006101
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