Monday, 15 October 2001
Long Term Changes in Cloud Cover Detected in HIRS Data
Cloud cover has been globally monitored with HIRS data for the last 12 years at the University of Wisconsin. This record has covered two ENSO events and shown many inter-annual changes. Cloud cover increased in the early part of the record at the end of the 91-93 ENSO mainly in the northern hemisphere. The annual cycle of cloud cover in the southern hemisphere also became large in the mid-1990's. In the late 1990's cloud cover decreased in the northern hemisphere. The decrease was mainly from low altitude clouds while high clouds showed lesser changes. Comparisons also have been made to the ISCCP, 3-I, and SAGE cloud climatologies.
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