Variation of arctic cloud cover in summer: results through February 1983

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5470009

Kukla, G J

The variation of arctic cloud cover in time and space during the summer of 1979 was charted from satellite imagery in 3 to 7 day intervals. Twenty-nine charts of the cloud cover in the Arctic Basin were produced, covering the period from May 17 through August 15. Three classes of cloud thickness were separately mapped. Optically thick clouds were found to be considerably less frequent than the estimates based on earlier analyses of ground and drifting station reports. The proportion of the thickest cloud category increased markedly in mid June in connection with a traveling low pressure system which orginated during early June in Central Asia, crossed the Pole on June 13th and dissipated over Baffin Island late in the month. Concurrently, the snow in the Central Arctic started melting with a subsequent drop in surface albedo and bottom melt of the ice floes. Our data show that at least in 1979 the advection of a warm moist continental air mass from Central Asia was instrumental in the establishment of the summer regime in the Central Arctic. Throughout the spring and summer, all over the Arctic Basin there were clear sky episodes lasting long enough to significantly affect the surface radiation balance and the dissipation of snow and ice cover.

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (USA). Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-81EV10665
• OSTI ID: 5470009
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/10665-4; ON: DE84005098
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALBEDO
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CLOUDS
METEOROLOGY
POLAR REGIONS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SNOW
VARIATIONS