More frequent cloud-free sky and less surface solar radiation in China from 1955 to 2000

Newly available data from extended weather stations and time period reveal that much of China has experienced significant decreases in cloud cover over the last half of the Twentieth century. This conclusion is supported by the analysis of the more reliably observed frequency of cloud‐free sky and o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2006-01, Vol.33 (1), p.n/a
Main Authors: Qian, Yun, Kaiser, Dale P., Leung, L. Ruby, Xu, Ming
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aerosols
AIR POLLUTION
CHINA
climate
CLOUD COVER
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EVAPORATION
Exact sciences and technology
pollution
RADIATIONS
SKY
SOLAR RADIATION
SUN
temperature
trends
United States
WEATHER
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Summary:Newly available data from extended weather stations and time period reveal that much of China has experienced significant decreases in cloud cover over the last half of the Twentieth century. This conclusion is supported by the analysis of the more reliably observed frequency of cloud‐free sky and overcast sky. The total cloud cover and low cloud cover have decreased 0.88% and 0.33% per decade, respectively, and cloud‐free days have increased 0.60% and overcast days decreased 0.78% per decade in China from 1954–2001. Meanwhile, both solar radiation and pan evaporation have decreased in China, with solar radiation decreasing 3.1 W/m2 and pan evaporation decreasing 39 mm per decade. Combining these results with findings of previous studies, we speculated that increased air pollution may have produced a fog‐like haze that reflected/absorbed radiation from the sun and resulted in less solar radiation reaching the surface, despite concurrent increasing trends in cloud‐free sky over China.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2005GL024586