Skip to main content

Association between cloudiness and rainfall over Fars province in Iran

Abstract

Relationship between precipitation sum and cloud properties over Fars province in Iran was analyzed for the cases of light (4 mm), moderate (17 mm), and heavy (62 mm) precipitation. The cloud properties (temperature and pressure at the top, cloud optical thickness and cloud water path) were obtained from satellite data of spectoradiometer MODIS (MODO6). The spatial distribution of rainfall was obtained from the 3-hourly data of TRMM (3B42). The multivariate regression model was developed to predict the spatial distribution of rainfall. A strong significant positive association between the spatial distribution of cloud characteristics and heavy precipitation was found, while no clear correlation was revealed between light precipitation and cloud properties. The developed regression model comprised 64, 47, and 24% of spatial variance of heavy, moderate, and light rainfall, respectively. The influence of cloud water path on the spatial distribution of rainfall dominates.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  1. Anupakh Hazra et al., “Study of Cloud Microphysical Properties over India during CAIPEEX Using a Mesoscale Model with New Cloud Microphysical Scheme. Part I,” J. Atmos. and Solar-Terrestrial Phys., 93 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  2. M. Askelson, “On the Use of Satellite Cloud Top Pressure Data in the Estimation of Snowfall Occurrence and Precipitation Rates,” in Proceedings of the 23rd Conference on IIPS (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  3. M. B. Baker, “Cloud Microphysics and Climate,” Science, 276 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  4. A. Bryan and D. S. Baum, “Introduction to MODIS Cloud Products,” Earth Science Satellite Remote Sensing (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  5. P. S. Bumrungklang, “An Analysis of Seasonal Thunderstorm Cloud Distribution and Its Relation to Rainfall in Thailand Using Remotely Sensed Data,” Suranaree J. Sci. Technol. (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  6. E. F. T. Cattani, “On the Statistical Relationship between Cloud Optical and Microphysical Characteristics and Rainfall Intensity for Convective Storms over the Mediterranean,” Nat. Hazards Earth Syst., 9 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  7. M. A. Cecchini et al., “Droplet Size Distributions as a Function of Rainy System Type and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Concentrations,” Atmos. Res. (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  8. S. A. Chakraborty, “Interrelation between Microphysical and Optical Properties of Cloud and Rainfall in the Indian Region,” Indian J. Radio & Space Phys., 42 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  9. J. Y. Donghai Wang, “In-situ Measurements of Cloud-precipitation Microphysics in the East Asian Monsoon Region since 1960,” J. Meteorol. Res., No. 2, 29 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Z. L. Fan Ping, “Microphysical and Radiative Effects of Ice Clouds on Diurnal Variations of Tropical Convective and Stratiform Rainfall,” Atmos. Res., No. 4, 93 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  11. http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

  12. http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/precip/.

  13. Hui-Ling Yang et al., “A Numerical Study of Aerosol Effects on Cloud Microphysical Processes of Hailstorm Clouds,” Atmos. Res., No. 4, 102 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  14. P. P. G. Jason, “Evaluation of MODIS Cloud Product-derived Rainfall Estimates,” Asian Association on Remote Sensing (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  15. W. Jay and D. M. Hanna, “Cloud-top Temperatures for Precipitating Winter Clouds,” Amer. Meteorol. Soc. (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  16. G. W. Jiangnan Li, “Cloud-scale Simulation Study of Typhoon Hagupit (2008). Part I: Microphysical Processes of the Inner Core and Three-dimensional Structure of the Latent Heat Budget,” Atmos. Res., 120-121 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  17. P. E. Kaustav Chakravarty, “Microphysical Characteristics of Clouds and Precipitation during Pre-monsoon and Monsoon Period over a Tropical Indian Station,” J. Atmos. and Solar-Terrestrial Phys., 94 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  18. K. Kawamoto, “Relationships between Cloud Properties and Precipitation Amount over the Amazon Basin,” Atmos. Res., 82 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  19. M. Lazri et al., “Identification of Raining Clouds Using a Method Based on Optical and Microphysical Cloud Properties from Meteosat Second Generation Daytime and Nighttime Data,” Appl. Water Sci., No. 1 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  20. B. Lin and W. B. Rossow, “Observations of Cloud Liquid Water Path over Oceans: Optical and Microwave Remote Sensing Data,” J. Geophys. Res., 102 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  21. K. Liou, Radiation and Cloud Processes in the Atmosphere. Theory, Observation and Modeling (Oxford University Press, New York, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  22. L. R. Machado, “Life Cycle Variations of Mesoscale Convective Systems over the Americas,” Mon. Wea. Rev., 126 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  23. T. Nauss and A. A. Kokhanovsky, “Discrimination Raining from Non-raining Clouds at Mid-latitudes Using Multispectral Satellite Data,” Atmos. Chemistry and Phys., 6 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  24. S. V. Platnick, “A Validation of a Satellite Cloud Retrieval during ASTEX,” J. Atmos. Sci., 52 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sathy Nair et al., “Thermodynamical and Cloud Microphysical Response during the Transition from Southwest to Northeast Monsoon,” Atmos. Res., 166 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  26. G. Stephens, “Cloud Feedbacks in the Climate System: A Critical Review,” J. Climate, 18 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Yi Wang et al., “Microphysical and Radiative Effects of Ice Clouds on Responses of Rainfall to the Large-scale Forcing during Pre-summer Heavy Rainfall over Southern China,” Atmos. Res., No. 1-2, 97 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  28. X. Zeng, “The Relationship among Precipitation, Cloud-top Temperature, and Precipitable Water over the Tropics,” J. Climate, 12 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Halimi.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © M. Halimi, M. Rezaei, Ch. Mohammadi, M. Farajzadeh, 2017, published in Meteorologiya i Gidrologiya, 2017, No. 10, pp. 91-99.

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Halimi, M., Rezaei, M., Mohammadi, C. et al. Association between cloudiness and rainfall over Fars province in Iran. Russ. Meteorol. Hydrol. 42, 671–676 (2017). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373917100077

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373917100077

Keywords

  • Cloud properties
  • rainfall
  • multivariate regression
  • Fars province (Iran)