Increased Occurrence of Stratiform Clouds in the Caribbean Dry Season Since 1971 From Surface Observations

Eastman, Ryan; McCoy, Isabel L.; Zuidema, Paquita; Schulz, Hauke; Barrett, Patrick

doi:10.1029/2024JD042563

i

Increased Occurrence of Stratiform Clouds in the Caribbean Dry Season Since 1971 From Surface Observations

2025
By Eastman, Ryan ; McCoy, Isabel L. ; Zuidema, Paquita ; ...

Details

Journal Title:

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Personal Author:

Eastman, Ryan ; McCoy, Isabel L. ; Zuidema, Paquita ; Schulz, Hauke ; Barrett, Patrick
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; CICOES (Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies) ; CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) ; CSL (Chemical Sciences Laboratory)
Description:

This study examines low cloud trends over 1971–2020 by utilizing a unique, surface based cloud record generated by human observers at Caribbean island weather stations. In the dry season (December–April), when low clouds dominate cloud behavior in the Caribbean, Stratocumulus cloud frequency increases at the expense of Cumulus clouds. Low cloud cover varies positively with Stratocumulus clouds and exhibits a slight increasing trend. Rainfall frequency, observed at a subset of co‐located stations, varies positively with Stratocumulus frequency, corroborating their increasing trend. Trends in temperature and humidity show stronger warming aloft compared to the surface and drying at low levels. Stratocumulus are shown to respond positively to increases in the surface latent heat flux and to a stronger inversion in this study region. These results suggest that observed increases in Stratocumulus could be driven by increases in moisture fluxes into the more strongly capped boundary layer. Increased wintertime cloud cover and precipitation frequency may represent a de‐amplifying feedback to Caribbean warming and drying. Climate indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and ENSO do not show significant relationships with Stratocumulus variability, nor do variations in aerosol concentration.
Source:

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130(4)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD042563
ISSN:

2169-897X ; 2169-8996
Format:

pdf
Publisher:

American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. NA20OAR4320271
Rights Information:

Other
Compliance:

Submitted
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:bba6b2de0d4379e1a1d2ac8ccd127a2001e670245820498cb542083ad89063ce0e2f15175505123e8becc6bfcc48a19e7cb1adedc0ff2889792261e52ad4cf50
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/71494/noaa_71494_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 4.73 MB ]

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