Open AccessOn the features of clouds occurring over the Mackenzie River basin
Author(s) -
Stewart Ronald E.,
Burford Jason E.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2001jd001559
Subject(s) - cloud cover , environmental science , cloud fraction , climatology , scale (ratio) , cloud computing , structural basin , atmospheric sciences , geology , geography , geomorphology , cartography , computer science , operating system
To better characterize the occurrence of clouds and some of their features over the Mackenzie basin of northwestern Canada, surface‐based measurements of cloud fields have been examined from several operational observing sites. This article focuses on the determination of cloud cover fraction, cloud base height, multiple layering, and cloud type as well as the variations of these on temporal scales ranging from diurnal to interannual. In addition, the cloud features were related to the large‐scale circulation, large‐scale convergence, air mass, and surface temperature. The results indicate that clouds over this region are very common (occurring about 80% of the time and covering an average of about 60% of the sky), are linked with surface temperature variations (such as being less common and higher during winter cold periods), are poorly correlated with large‐scale factors (such as El Niño), and may be exhibiting some long‐term trends (such as an increase in cloud cover fraction).