Analyzing of Cloud Macroscopic Characteristics in the Shigatse Area of the Tibetan Plateau Using the Total-Sky Images

The macroscopic characteristics of clouds in the Tibetan Plateau are crucial to understanding the local climatic conditions and their impact on the global climate and water vapor cycle. In this study, the variations of cloud cover and cloud types are analyzed by using total-sky images of two consecutive years in Shigatse, Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the cloud cover in Shigatse presents a distinct seasonal difference that is characterized by low cloud cover in autumn and winter and high cloud cover in summer and spring. July is the month with the largest cloud coverage, and its average cloud cover exceeds 75%. The probability of clouds in the sky is the lowest in November, with an average cloud cover of less than 20%. The diurnal variations of cloud cover in different months also have considerable differences. Specifically, cloud cover is higher in the afternoon than that in the morning in most months, whereas the cloud cover throughout the day varies little from July to September. The dominant cloud types in different months are also not the same. The proportion of clear sky is large in autumn and winter. Stratiform cloud occupies the highest percentage in March, April, July, and August. The probability of emergence of cirrus is highest in May and June. The Shigatse region has clear rainy and dry seasons, and correlation analysis between precipitation and clouds shows that the largest cumulative precipitation, the highest cloud cover, and the highest proportion of stratiform clouds occur simultaneously in July.