Spatiotemporal Distributions of Cloud Parameters and the Temperature Response Over the Mongolian Plateau During 2006–2015 Based on MODIS Data

Abstract

The Mongolian Plateau (MP) has important influences on regional and global climate change. The spatiotemporal variations in the cloud cover and cloud optical thickness of total, high, middle, and low clouds over the MP during the daytime from 2006 to 2015 are analyzed using MODIS level 2 atmospheric data. Results show that the annual average total cloud cover over the MP decreases from the forest area in the northeast to the desert area in the southwest. The total cloud cover over the MP is obviously higher in summer than in other seasons, in which high clouds have a largest proportion, with the substantial total cloud cover changes. The spatial distributions of the high, middle, and low cloud covers over the MP are highly variable. The cooling effect of the cloud net radiative forcing is greater during the daytime in summer than in other seasons, which is likely associated with thick cloud optical thickness or large cloud cover in summer. Combined with the analyses of relationships among cloud cover, cloud optical thickness, cloud radiative forcing, and air temperature, the results show that significantly negative correlations exist between cloud optical thickness and cloud radiative forcing, and between total cloud cover and air temperature in the MP. The decrease in air temperature in summer over the MP during daytime confirm that the increase in the daytime total cloud cover strengthen the cooling effects of clouds and decrease the air temperature, especially in the high-value area with cloud cover distribution over the northeast MP.