Comparison of satellite and all-sky camera estimates of cloud cover during GATE.

Abstract

Horizontal cloud coverages derived from a geostationary satellite and all-sky cameras were compared for a 3-month period of the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE). Estimates of total cloud cover using the satellite and all-sky camera were similar for the daytime period. The all-sky cameras also gave reasonable estimates of the 24 h cloud cover due to the small difference in the satellite determined daytime and nighttime total cloud cover in the vicinity of the all-sky cameras. -from Authors