Dataset on cloud dynamics in Singapore Wenfa Ng figshare 22 Sep 2016.pdf (2.36 MB)
Dataset on cloud dynamics over Singapore island (1 deg N of equator)
Clouds is an intermediary in the hydrology cycle, and is a temporary
reservoir of water in the atmosphere. Shaped and moved by the wind, its many
incarnations from cirrus to cumulonimbus clouds provide vital signs of the
dynamic balance between land and atmosphere and that between sea and air. For
example, a large towering cumulonimbus that rise 30 km into the stratosphere
means that rain is likely in the next couple of hours. Hence, information on
cloud formation and movement dynamics when coupled with other meteorology
parameters such as wind direction and speed, provide important data for weather
forecasting and long range understanding of how climate change is influencing
local weather through cloud formation or dissipation. Viewed differently, this
reservoir of water in air holds important information on how local weather
would behave in the short, medium, and sometimes long term. Currently,
information on cloud cover and movement is gained through a multitude of earth
sensing satellites on polar orbits circling the planet. Though useful, top down infrared sensing and
optical pictures obtained by these satellite only provide partial view of cloud
dynamics; specifically, there is little knowledge on the type of cloud imaged,
its altitude and volume – all of which crucial to understanding atmospheric
dynamics as well as weather forecasting and climate modeling. Hence, a thought
came to me to provide, through a preprint, imagery data on cloud type and
volume using images from a 5 megapixel smartphone camera, for researchers to
assess cloud dynamics in Singapore. Tropical climes such as Singapore and its
proximity to the equator meant that it is in the relatively stable atmospheric
zone 10o N and S of the equator (also known as the intertropical
convergence zone or doldrums). While the atmosphere is more stable than those
in subtropical or temperate zones, the amount of water in air stored as clouds
have major implications for understanding how climate change would manifest its
effect near the equator. Specifically, reduced cloud coverage together with
warmer weather and windier days meant that droughts may be more frequent in
tropical climates where intense rainfall over short duration on a consistent
basis is the previous norm. It is with the acknowledged gap in understanding
from weather satellites that NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Agency of
U.S.) conducted periodic sampling and observation missions using aircraft and
tap on other earth observing satellites such as Global Precipitation Measurement
(GPM) satellite to close the hydrology loop. Additional data can also come from
photos of clouds taken by cameras on mobile devices and digital cameras. Unique
in perspective and offering a glimpse of altitude (looking from the ground up)
not available to high speed aircraft and earth observation satellites, these
photos only lack in the area of location and duration coverage. Thus, this dataset
preprint is a tiny contribution to understanding cloud dynamics around
Singapore, on which climate researchers and meteorologists could hopefully glean new
knowledge and understanding.
Funding
No funding was used in this work.
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cloudsprecipitationrainfalltropicsglobal circulation modelclimate modelingprecipitation modelclimate changetemperature riseremote sensingmedium range weather forecastintertropical convergence zonedoldrumsEnvironmental Chemistry (incl. Atmospheric Chemistry)GeophysicsEnvironmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
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