Climate Change Research

Climate Change Research

Trend Analysis of Cloud Cover Changes in the Cold Period of the Year in the Southeast of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Masoomeh yousefi 1
Mohammad Saligheh 2
Ali Reza Karbalaee doree 3
1 Graduated from Master's Degree in Meteorology, Climate Change, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Khwarazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor Department of Climatology Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor Department of Climatology Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
10.30488/ccr.2024.470082.1233
Abstract
The spatial distribution and trends of cloudy days, particularly during the cold season, carry significant importance for environmental planning and water resource management in arid and semi-arid regions. Clouds, as a crucial component of the hydrological cycle, play a vital role in regulating precipitation patterns, temperature, and evapotranspiration. This research aims to investigate the trends in cloud cover during the winter season and identify the influencing factors in southeastern Iran. By utilizing data from 23 synoptic stations and reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) covering the period from 1989 to 2022, this study employed statistical analyses, including the spatiotemporal distribution of low-level cloud cover (LCC), the Mann-Kendall trend test, and linear regression modeling, to assess long-term changes. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of cloud cover in the study area is influenced by geographical factors such as latitude, longitude, altitude, and atmospheric patterns. Furthermore, trend analysis using the Mann-Kendall test and regression on both observational and ERA5 reanalysis data reveals a decreasing trend in cloud cover during the months of December, January, and February. The most significant decrease in cloudiness was observed in December. The findings of this research can enhance our understanding of regional climate change and improve climate prediction models. Moreover, the results can contribute to water resource management, as well as agricultural and energy-related planning in southeastern Iran
Keywords
Mann
Kendall test cloud cover winter season southeastern Iran

Subjects

  1. Abad, B., Salahi, B., Raispour, K., De Luis, M., Serrano, R., & Moradi, M. (2022). Assessment of LST spatial and temporal changes in Jazmourian basin, southeast Iran. Physical Geography, 43(6), 809-828.
  2. Aellig, R., Gerighausen, J., Fink, A., Knippertz, P., & Philippon, N. (2021). Satellite-and station-based climatology of low-level cloud cover during the long dry season in western Central Africa (No. EGU21-9552). Copernicus Meetings.
  3. Awty-Carroll, K., Bunting, P., Hardy, A., & Bell, G. (2021). Evaluation of the Continuous Monitoring of Land Disturbance Algorithm for Large-Scale Mangrove Classification. Remote sensing, 13(19), 3978.
  4. Bartoszek, K., Łachowski, W., & Matuszko, D. (2023). The increase in the proportion of impervious surfaces and changes in air temperature, relative humidity, and cloud cover in Poland.
  5. Bromwich, D.H., Nicolas, J.P., Hines, K.M., Kay, J.E., Key, E.L., Lazzara, M.A. Lubin, D., McFarquhar,G.M. Gorodetskaya, I.V., Grosvenor, D.P. Lachlan‐Cope, T. van Lipzig, N.P.M. (2012). Tropospheric clouds in Antarctica, Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union, Reviews of Geophysics.
  6. Chen, Z., Wang, M., Zhang, H., Lin, S., Guo, Z., Jiang, Y., & Zhou, C. (2022). Long-term change in low-cloud cover in Southeast China during cold seasons. Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, 15(6), 100222.
  7. Chepfer, H., Noel, V., Winker, D. & Chiriaco, M. Where and when will we observe cloud changes due to climate warming? Geophys. Res. (2014)
  8. Chernokulsky, A. Mokhov, II. (2012) Climatology of Total Cloudiness in the Arctic: An Intercomparison of Observations and Reanalyses, Advances in Meteorology Volume 2012.
  9. Croke, M.S., Cess, R.D., and Hameed, S. 1998. Regional cloud cover change associated with global climate change: Case studies for three regions of the United State. J. Climate, 7.
  10. Dim, J.R., Murakami, H., Nakajima, T.Y., Nordell, B., Heidinger, A.K., & Takamura, T. (2011). The recent state of the climate: Driving components of cloud‐type variability. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116.
  11. Filipiak, J., & Miȩtus, M. (2009). Spatial and temporal variability of cloudiness in Poland, 1971–2000. International Journal of Climatology: A Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 29(9), 1294-1311.
  12. Filipiak, J.; and Mietus, M. (2009). Spatial and temporal variability of cloudiness in Poland (1971-2000), International Journal of Climatology No. 29 (9). PP.1294-1311
  13. Ghasemifar, E., Farajzadeh, M., Perry, M. C., Rahimi, Y. G., & Bidokhti, A. A. (2018). Analysis of spatiotemporal variations of cloud fraction based on geographic characteristics over Iran. Theoretical and applied climatology, 134, 1429-1445.
  14. Hashimoto, H., Nemani, R. R., Bala, G., Cao, L., Michaelis, A. R., Ganguly, S., ... & Myneni, R. (2019). Constraints to vegetation growth reduced by region-specific changes in seasonal climate. Climate, 7(2), 27.
  15. Jaswal, A., Kore, P.A., & Singh, V.B. (2016). Variability and trends in low cloud cover over India during 1961-2010. MAUSAM.
  16. Keikhosravi Kiany, M. S., Masoodian, S. A., Balling Jr, R. C., & Svoma, B. M. (2017). Spatial and temporal variations of snow cover in the Karoon River Basin, Iran, 2003–2015. Water, 9(12), 965.
  17. Komarov, V. S., Matvienko, G. G., Il’in, S. N., & Lomakina, N. Y. (2015). Estimate of local features of long-term variations in cloud cover over the territory of Siberia using results of its climatic zoning according to total and low-level cloud regimes. Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics, 28, 265-272.
  18. Kostsov, V. S., Kniffka, A., Stengel, M., & Ionov, D. V. (2019). Cross-comparison of cloud liquid water path derived from observations by two space-borne and one ground-based instrument in northern Europe. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 12(11), 5927-5946.
  19. Lee, S., Kim, S. W., Hwang, S. O., Choi, J. N., Ahn, K. B., & Kim, J. (2020). Comparative analysis of the cloud behavior over inland and coastal regions within single climate characteristics. Atmosphere, 11(12), 1316.
  20. Lei, Y.; Leto, H.; Shand, Hu.and Shi, G. (2020). Cloud cover over the Tibetan Plateau and eastern China: a comparison of ERA5 and ERA‑Interim with satellite observations. Climate Dynamics. Vol 54. PP 2941–2957. /doi.org/10.1007 /s00382-020-05149-x.
  21. Luo, H., Quaas, J., & Han, Y. (2024). Diurnally asymmetric cloud cover trends amplify greenhouse warming. Science Advances, 10(25), eado5179.
  22. Mishra, A. (2017). Investigating changes in cloud cover using the long-term record of precipitation extremes. Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.NO 26. PP108_116.
  23. Moron, V., Camberlin, P., Aellig, R., Champagne, O., Fink, A., Knippertz, P., & Philippon, N. (2023). Diurnal to interannual variability of low‐level cloud cover over western equatorial Africa in May–October. International Journal of Climatology, 43(13), 6038-6064.
  24. Pliemon, T., Foelsche, U., Rohr, C., & Pfister, C. (2022). Subdaily meteorological measurements of temperature, direction of the movement of the clouds, and cloud cover in the Late Maunder Minimum by Louis Morin in Paris.
  25. Schiffer, R.A. and W.B. Rossow. (1983). The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) The first project of the World Climate Research Programme. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., No. 64. PP. 779-784.
  26. Shelton, S., Pushpawela, B., & Liyanage, G.W. (2021). The long-term trend in the diurnal temperature range over Sri Lanka from 1985 to 2017 and its association with total cloud cover and rainfall. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
  27. Stengel, M.; Kniffka, A.; Meirink, J. F.; Lock off, M. L.; Tan, J.and Hollmann, R. (2014). The CM SAF cloud property dataset using SEVIRI.Atmospheric. Chemistry. Physics.NO 14. PP 4297–4311.
  28. Stoy, P.C., Bromley, G.T., Prein, A.F., & Albeke, S.E. (2024). The Decline in Summer Fallow in the Northern Great Plains Cooled Near‐Surface Climate but had Minimal Impacts on Precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129.
  29. Tsila, A., & Shpyg, V. (2023). Interannual variability of total and low cloudiness over large cities of Ukraine: an intercomparison of observations and reanalysis. Book of Abstracts of the International Conference of Young Scientists on Meteorology, Hydrology and Environmental Monitoring (ICYS-MHEM).
  30. Vial J, Bony S, Stevens B, Vogel R (2017) Mechanisms and model diversity of trade-wind shallow cumulus cloud feedbacks : a review. Surv Geophys
  31. Warren, S.G., Eastman, R.M., and Hahn, C.J. 2007. A survey of changes in cloud cover and cloud types over land from surface observations, 1971-1996. J. Climate, 20.
  32. Wylie, D; Jackson, D. Menzel, P. Bates, J. (2005). Trends in Global Cloud Cover in Two Decades of HIRS Observations, Jurnal of climate ,18: 3021 – 3031
  33. Zeng, S. Parol, F. Riedi, J. Cornet, C.,Thieuleux,F. (2011) Examination of POLDER/PARASOL and MODIS/Aqua Cloud Fractions and Properties Representativeness. Journal of climate
  34. Zhang, Xiao, Cao, Junji, Li, LM, 2000, Characterization of atmospheric aerosol over Xi’an in the South Margin of the Loess Plateau, China, Atmospheric Environment 2002; 36(26), 4189–4199, Vicente de Paulo and Modarres R. Yue.