Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Trends and variability of cloud fraction cover in the Arctic, 1982–2009

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climatology, trends and variability of cloud fraction cover (CFC) data over the Arctic (north of 70°N), were analysed over the 1982–2009 period. Data, available from the Climate Monitoring Satellite Application Facility (CM SAF), are derived from satellite measurements by AVHRR. Climatological means confirm permanent high CFC values over the Atlantic sector during all the year and during summer over the eastern Arctic Ocean. Lower values are found in the rest of the analysed area especially over Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago, nearly continuously during all the months. These results are confirmed by CFC trends and variability. Statistically significant trends were found during all the months over the Greenland Sea, particularly during the winter season (negative, less than −5 % dec −1) and over the Beaufort Sea in spring (positive, more than +5 % dec −1). CFC variability, investigated by the Empirical Orthogonal Functions, shows a substantial “non-variability” in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Statistically significant correlations between CFC principal components elements and both the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index and Pacific North America patterns are found.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnston AG, Livezey RE (1987) Classification, seasonality and persistence of low-frequency atmospheric circulation patterns. Mon Weather Rev 115:1083–1126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Box JE, Steffen K (2001) Sublimation on the Greenland ice sheet from automated weather station observations. J Geophys Res 106(D24):33965–33981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bromwich DH, Chen Q-S, Bai L-S, Cassano EN, Li Y (2001) Modeled precipitation variability over the Greenland ice sheet. J Geophys Res 106(D24):33891–33908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalieri DJ, Parkinson CL (2012) Arctic sea ice variability and trends, 1979-2010. Cryosphere 6:881–889. doi:10.5194/tc-6-881-2012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chernokulsky A, Mokhov II (2012) Climatology of Total cloudiness in the Arctic: an Intercomparison of observations and Reanalyses. Adv Meteorol 2012:542093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comiso JC (2003) Warming trends in the Arctic from clear sky satellite observations. J Clim 16(21):3498–3510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comiso JC, Hall DK (2014) Climate trends in the Arctic as observed from space. WIREs Clim Change 5:389–409. doi:10.1002/wcc.277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curry JA, Rossow WB, Randall D, Schramm JL (1996) Overview of Arctic cloud and radiation characteristics. J Clim 9:1731–1764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eastman R, Warren SG (2010a) Interannual variations of Arctic cloud types in relation to sea ice. J Clim 23:4216–4232. doi:10.1175/2010JCLI3492.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eastman R, Warren SG (2010b) Arctic cloud changes from surface and satellite observations. J Clim 23:4233–4242. doi:10.1175/2010JCLI3544.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannachi A, Jolliffe IT, Stephenson DB (2007) Empirical orthogonal functions and related techniques in atmospheric science: a review. Int J Climatol 27(9):1119–1152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell JW (1995) Decadal trends in the North Atlantic oscillation: regional temperatures and precipitation. Science 269:676–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe IT (1989) Rotation of ill-defined principal components. Appl Stat 38:139–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan D, Glass L (1995) Understanding non linear dynamics. Springer-Verlag, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson KG, Riihelä A, Müller R, Meirink JF, Sedlar J, Stengel M, Lockhoff M, Trentmann J, Kaspar F, Hollmann R, Wolters E (2013) CLARA-A1: a cloud, albedo, and radiation dataset from 28 yr of global AVHRR data. Atmos Chem Phys 13:5351–5367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilliefors HW (1967) On the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality with mean and variance unknown. J Am Stat Assoc 62:399–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay RW (1998) Temporal variability of the energy balance of thick Arctic pack ice. J Clim 11(3):313–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua NJ, Hare SR, Zhang Y, Wallace JM, Francis RC (1997) A Pacific interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on salmon production. B Am Meteorol Soc 78:1069–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • North GR, Bell TL, Calahan RF, Moeng FJ (1982) Sampling errors in the estimation of empirical orthogonal functions. Mon Weather Rev 110:699–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richman MB (1986) Rotation of principal components. J Climatology 6:293–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweiger AJ (2004) Changes in seasonal cloud cover over the Arctic seas from satellite and surface observations. Geophys Res Lett 31:L12207. doi:10.1029/2004GL020067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen PK (1968) Estimates of the regression coefficient based on Kendall's tau. J Am Stat Assoc 63:1379–1389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serreze MC, Barry RG (2014) The Arctic climate system, 2nd edn. Cambridge Univ Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Stroeve JC, Serreze MC, Holland MM, Kay JE, Malanik J, Barrett AP (2012) The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking sea ice cover: a research synthesis. Clim Chang 110:1005–1027. doi:10.1007/s10584-011-0101-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson DWJ, Wallace JM (1998) The Arctic oscillation signature in the wintertime geopotential height and temperature fields. Geophys Res Lett 25:1297–1300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughan DG et al. (2013) Observations: cryosphere. In: Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change [Stocker TF et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA

  • Wallace JM (2000) North Atlantic oscillation/annular mode: two paradigms-one phenomenon. Q J Roy Meteor Soc 126:791–805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XJ, Key JR (2005a) Arctic surface, cloud, and radiation properties based on the AVHRR polar pathfinder dataset. Part I: spatial and temporal characteristics. J Clim 18:2558–2574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XJ, Key JR (2005b) Arctic surface, cloud, and radiation properties based on the AVHRR polar pathfinder dataset. Part I: recent trends. J Clim 18:2575–2593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Zhang J, Watanabe E, Ikeda M, Mizobata K, Walsh JE, Bai X, Wu B (2009) Is the dipole anoma1y a major drier to record lows in Arctic summer sea ice extent? Geophys Res Lett 36:L05706

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang XJ, Key JR, Liu Y, Fowler C, Maslanik J, Tschudi M (2012) Arctic climate variability and trends from satellite observations. Adv Meteorol 2012:505613. doi:10.1155/2012/505613

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilks DS (2011) Statistical methods in the atmospheric sciences, 3rd edn. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out using data from EUMETSAT’s Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) (DOI:10.5676/EUM_SAF_CM/CLARA_A/V001). The authors are also grateful to: The Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service (USA) for providing monthly NAO, PNA and PDO indices. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (USA) for providing the monthly AO index. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (USA) for the land-sea mask.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, I-41125, Modena, Italy

    Mauro Boccolari

  2. ISAC-CNR, via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    Flavio Parmiggiani

Authors
  1. Mauro Boccolari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Flavio Parmiggiani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauro Boccolari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boccolari, M., Parmiggiani, F. Trends and variability of cloud fraction cover in the Arctic, 1982–2009. Theor Appl Climatol 132, 739–749 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-017-2125-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-017-2125-6

Search

Navigation