Showing papers on "Cloud computing published in 1981"

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. However, other regions in the area of study which were not covered by an all-sky camera revealed large diurnal variations. In these areas the daytime total cloud amount did not yield an accurate representation of the 24 h cloud cover. A method is presented which enables one to construct a three-dimensional representation of cloud structure by combining surface and satellite observations. The disadvantages of this technique are that it assumes no overlapping cloud tops or cloud bases, as well as the limitations of the ...

Cloud cover archiving on a global scale - A discussion of principles

Abstract: Monitoring of climatic variability and climate modeling both require a reliable global cloud data set. Examination is made of the temporal and spatial variability of cloudiness in light of recommendations made by GARP in 1975 (and updated by JOC in 1978 and 1980) for cloud data archiving. An examination of the methods of comparing cloud cover frequency curves suggests that the use of the beta distribution not only facilitates objective comparison, but also reduces overall storage requirements. A specific study of the only current global cloud climatology (the U.S. Air Force's 3-dimensional nephanalysis) over the United Kingdom indicates that discussion of methods of validating satellite-based data sets is urgently required.

Reader Response to Redesign of St. Cloud Daily Times

Abstract: Most American newspapers have made major changes in format in the last decade. For example. Click and Stempel found that 57% have adopted six-column formats and 98% have dropped column rules.^ Yet these changes have been made with a minimum of assurance of their acceptability to the readers. It is true that several studies have found that in general readers prefer modern formats to earlier formats.^ Those studies, however, certainly do not remove all doubts that a publisher may have when he or she contemplates such changes. So far as we have been able to determine, no systematic follow-up study of reader response to format changes has been reported. This article reports on such a study, which documents reader response in a given instance and demonstrates that such assessment of reader response is feasible. The St. Cloud Daily Times formed a Redesign Committee under the direction of News Editor John Bodette. They soon decided to bring in a consultant, and so Garcia joined the redesign effort. The basic philosophy of the redesign was to make specific features and news items easy to find, easy to read and pleasant to look at. Helvetica was chosen as the basic type for headlines, with bold, medium and light being used. Helvetica Black was used for all standing headlines. Bylines and cutlines provided contrast through the use of sans serif light and bold. Part of the redesign was to improve the packaging. \"Teaser\" heads were used over the nameplate to tell the reader in a hurry where to find other major stories that didn't

Cloud Forecast Simulation Model.

Abstract: : The cloud forecast simulation model generates synthetic worldwide 3- hour total cloud cover forecast fields at 50-nautical mile resolution. The synthetic forecasts are generated stochastically, based on input verifying 'observed' total cloud cover fields, in such a manner that the agreement between the synthetic cloud forecast field and its verifying observed field is no better or worse than the agreement between actual cloud prognoses and their verifying observations. Moreover, a sawtooth wave submodel is used to insure the synthetic cloud forecast fields have the same spatial correlation as actual cloud prognoses have. Thus, the cloud forecast simulation model generates synthetic total cloud cover forecast fields that have the same skill and spatial correlation as the operational forecast product has. The model is used to generate meteorological input to system planning and optimization simulations and system design studies. The sawtooth wave submodel could also be used to generate synthetic two-dimensional observed weather fields as well as cloud forecasts.

Feasibility Analysis of Cloud Field Property Inference from Broadband Radiometry.

Abstract: : The goal of the study was to explore the capabilities of using passive radiometry to infer descriptive information about an overlying or underlying cloud field. Specific information includes cloud cover, cloud top height and cloud base height, as sensed by airborne broadband radiometers. The cloud information derived from implementation of passive radiometry will be used in tactical planning and as boundary conditions for short term meteorological prediction models. (Author)

Cloud Detector for a Remote Sensing Satellite

Abstract: SUMMARYThis paper describes a Cloud Detector for possible use in a future remote sensing satellite. The motivation for this concept is that large quantities of data are telemetered to ground from remote sensing spacecraft, like LANDSAT, of which a substantial proportion are of cloud cover and hence unusable for remote sensing applications. The storage of all this data takes up unnecessary amounts of tape footage and storage facilities. The data also are often under-utilized, therefore processing on board the spacecraft to select usable data only and reject unusable data (based on user-determined threshold settings, modifiable by ground command) is felt to be a viable alternative. The proposed Cloud Detector adopts such a processing scheme. Details of it are given in the paper.