The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data
Clouds play an important role in the climate system; nonetheless, the relationship between climate change in general and regional cloud occurrence is not yet well understood. This particularly holds for remote areas such as the iconic Galapagos archipelago in Ecuador. As a first step towards a bette...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/8/1225 |
| _version_ | 1797585544917549056 |
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| author | Samira Zander Nazli Turini Daniela Ballari Steve Darwin Bayas López Rolando Celleri Byron Delgado Maldonado Johanna Orellana-Alvear Benjamin Schmidt Dieter Scherer Jörg Bendix |
| author_facet | Samira Zander Nazli Turini Daniela Ballari Steve Darwin Bayas López Rolando Celleri Byron Delgado Maldonado Johanna Orellana-Alvear Benjamin Schmidt Dieter Scherer Jörg Bendix |
| author_sort | Samira Zander |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Clouds play an important role in the climate system; nonetheless, the relationship between climate change in general and regional cloud occurrence is not yet well understood. This particularly holds for remote areas such as the iconic Galapagos archipelago in Ecuador. As a first step towards a better understanding, we analyzed the spatio-temporal patterns of cloud cover over Galapagos. We found that cloud frequency and distribution exhibit large inter- and intra-annual variability due to the changing influence of climatic drivers (trade winds, sea surface temperature, El Niño/La Niña events) and spatial variations due to terrain characteristics and location within the archipelago. The highest cloud frequencies occur in mid-elevations on the slopes exposed to the southerly trade winds (south-east slopes). Towards the highlands ( >900 m a.s.l), cloud frequency decreases, with a sharp leap towards high-level crater areas mainly on Isabela Island that frequently immerse into the trade inversion layer. With respect to the diurnal cycle, we found a lower cloud frequency over the islands in the evening than in the morning. Seasonally, cloud frequency is higher during the hot season (January–May) than in the cool season (June–December). However, spatial differences in cloudiness were more pronounced during the cool season months. We further analyzed two periods beyond average atmospheric forcing. During El Niño 2015, the cloud frequency was higher than usual, and differences between altitudes and aspects were less pronounced. La Niña 2007 led to negative anomalies in cloud frequency over the islands, with intensified differences between altitude and aspect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:08:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a29cea5cc5340acaa621882aa473e76 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:08:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a29cea5cc5340acaa621882aa473e762023-11-19T00:12:13ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332023-07-01148122510.3390/atmos14081225The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask DataSamira Zander0Nazli Turini1Daniela Ballari2Steve Darwin Bayas López3Rolando Celleri4Byron Delgado Maldonado5Johanna Orellana-Alvear6Benjamin Schmidt7Dieter Scherer8Jörg Bendix9Department of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstrasse 12, 35037 Marburg, GermanyDepartment of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstrasse 12, 35037 Marburg, GermanyInstitute for the Study of Sectional Regime in Ecuador, Science and Technology Faculty, University of Azuay, Cuenca 010101, EcuadorGalapagos National Park, Av. Charles Darwin, Santa Cruz, Galapagos 200102, EcuadorDepartment of Water Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Cuenca, Av. 12 de Abril, Cuenca 0101168, EcuadorCharles Darwin Foundation, Av. Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos 200102, EcuadorDepartment of Water Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Cuenca, Víctor Manuel Albornoz y los Cerezos, Campus Balzay, Cuenca 010207, EcuadorDepartment of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstrasse 12, 12165 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstrasse 12, 12165 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstrasse 12, 35037 Marburg, GermanyClouds play an important role in the climate system; nonetheless, the relationship between climate change in general and regional cloud occurrence is not yet well understood. This particularly holds for remote areas such as the iconic Galapagos archipelago in Ecuador. As a first step towards a better understanding, we analyzed the spatio-temporal patterns of cloud cover over Galapagos. We found that cloud frequency and distribution exhibit large inter- and intra-annual variability due to the changing influence of climatic drivers (trade winds, sea surface temperature, El Niño/La Niña events) and spatial variations due to terrain characteristics and location within the archipelago. The highest cloud frequencies occur in mid-elevations on the slopes exposed to the southerly trade winds (south-east slopes). Towards the highlands ( >900 m a.s.l), cloud frequency decreases, with a sharp leap towards high-level crater areas mainly on Isabela Island that frequently immerse into the trade inversion layer. With respect to the diurnal cycle, we found a lower cloud frequency over the islands in the evening than in the morning. Seasonally, cloud frequency is higher during the hot season (January–May) than in the cool season (June–December). However, spatial differences in cloudiness were more pronounced during the cool season months. We further analyzed two periods beyond average atmospheric forcing. During El Niño 2015, the cloud frequency was higher than usual, and differences between altitudes and aspects were less pronounced. La Niña 2007 led to negative anomalies in cloud frequency over the islands, with intensified differences between altitude and aspect.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/8/1225cloud frequencycloudsGalapagosENSOMODIS |
| spellingShingle | Samira Zander Nazli Turini Daniela Ballari Steve Darwin Bayas López Rolando Celleri Byron Delgado Maldonado Johanna Orellana-Alvear Benjamin Schmidt Dieter Scherer Jörg Bendix The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data Atmosphere cloud frequency clouds Galapagos ENSO MODIS |
| title | The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data |
| title_full | The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data |
| title_fullStr | The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data |
| title_short | The Spatio-Temporal Cloud Frequency Distribution in the Galapagos Archipelago as Seen from MODIS Cloud Mask Data |
| title_sort | spatio temporal cloud frequency distribution in the galapagos archipelago as seen from modis cloud mask data |
| topic | cloud frequency clouds Galapagos ENSO MODIS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/8/1225 |
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