Comparing methods to estimate cloud cover over the Baikal Natural Territory in December 2020

Abstract

The paper addresses the issue of how much cloud cover data obtained using satellite and model-interpolation techniques are suitable for monitoring the transparency of the atmosphere and determining conditions for airglow observations at a local geophysical observatory. For this purpose, we compared the temporal dynamics of cloud cover from ECMWF’s ERA5 reanalysis and NOAA satellites with the night atmosphere transparency according to a digital camera. We considered the dynamics of the addressed parameters at the Geophysical Observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, located in the Baikal Natural Territory near the village of Tory (Republic of Buryatia, Russia), during December 2020. The comparative analysis showed a generally good agreement between cloud cover data from ECMWF’s ERA5 climate reanalysis and those observed with the camera. Disadvantages are the lack of information on rapid variations in cloud cover in the reanalysis and positive and negative delays in the dynamics of cloud fields that last about two hours. Due to irregular satellite data, large time gaps between passes and difficulties in estimating cloud cover at night, we could not come to reliable conclusions concerning the applicability of satellite data.