Cloud cover climatologies in the Mediterranean obtained from satellites, surface observations, reanalyses, and CMIP5 simulations: validation and future scenarios
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2016-04-12T14:45:02Z
dc.date.available
2016-04-12T14:45:02Z
dc.date.issued
2015-09-19
dc.identifier.issn
0930-7575
dc.identifier.uri
dc.description.abstract
Clouds are an important regulator of climate due to their connection to the water balance of the atmosphere and their interaction with solar and infrared radiation. In this study, monthly total cloud cover (TCC) records from different sources have been inter-compared on annual and seasonal basis for the Mediterranean region and the period 1984–2005. Specifically, gridded databases from satellite projects (ISCCP, CLARA, PATMOS-x), from reanalysis products (ERA-Interim, MERRA), and from surface observations over land (EECRA) and ocean (ICOADS) have been examined. Then, simulations from 44 climate runs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 corresponding to the historical scenario have been compared against the observations. Overall, we find good agreement between the mean values of TCC estimated from the three satellite products and from surface observations, while reanalysis products show much lower values across the region. Nevertheless, all datasets show similar behavior regarding the annual cycle of TCC. In addition, our results indicate an underestimation of TCC from climate model simulations as compared to the satellite products, especially during summertime, although the annual cycle is well simulated by most models. This result is quite general and apparently independent of the cloud parameterizations included in each particular model. Equally, similar results are obtained if the ISCCP simulator included in the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observation Simulator Package is considered, despite only few models provide the post-processed results. Finally, GCM projections of TCC over the Mediterranean are presented. These projections predict a reduction of TCC during the 21st century in the Mediterranean. Specifically, for an extreme emission scenario (RCP8.5) the projected relative rate of TCC decrease is larger than 10 % by the end of the centur
dc.description.sponsorship
This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (currently Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) Projects CGL2010-18546, CGL2014-55976-R, and CGL2014-52135-C3-1-R. The first author enjoys a Grant by the FPI program (BES-2011-049095) of the same ministry. The second author was supported by the “Secretaria per a Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement, de la Generalitat de Catalunya i del programa Cofund de les Accions Marie Curie del 7è Programa marc d’R + D de la Unió Europea” (2011 BP-B 00078) and the postdoctoral fellowship JCI-2012-12508
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application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
Elsevier
dc.relation
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MICINN//CGL2010-18546/ES/LAS NUBES Y SUS EFECTOS SOBRE LA RADIACION: DEL ESTUDIO DE SITUACIONES A ESCALA LOCAL AL ANALISIS CLIMATOLOGICO DE ALCANCE GLOBAL. INTERACCIONES CON EL AEROSOL ATMOSFERICO/
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//CGL2014-55976-R/ES/EXPLORANDO LA FRONTERA ENTRE NUBE Y AEROSOL MEDIANTE OBSERVACIONES DESDE SUPERFICIE Y MODELIZACION DE LA TRANSFERENCIA RADIATIVA/
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Reproducció digital del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-015-2834-4
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© Climate Dynamics, 2015, vol. 47, núm. 1-2, p. 249-269
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Articles publicats (D-F)
dc.rights
Tots els drets reservats
dc.subject
dc.title
Cloud cover climatologies in the Mediterranean obtained from satellites, surface observations, reanalyses, and CMIP5 simulations: validation and future scenarios
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.embargo.terms
Cap
dc.date.embargoEndDate
info:eu-repo/date/embargoEnd/2026-01-01
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
dc.identifier.idgrec
023826
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dc.relation.ProjectAcronym