SEASONAL VARIATION OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION IN NY-ALESUND, SVALBARD

• Main Authors: ワダ マコト, コニシ ヒロユキ, Makoto WADA, Hiroyuki KONISHI
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: ABSTRACT 1997
• Subjects: Arctic; Svalbard; Norwegian Polar Institute; Polar meteorology and glaciology; Proceedings of the NIPR Symposium on Polar Meteorology and Glaciology
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=4004; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00004004/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=4004&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

We started radar observations of clouds and precipitation in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic in August 1992. Although there were some no data periods because the station was not manned, we obtaied data from August 1992 to March 1995. Monthly precipitation was calculated from the 5 minutes mean radar reflectivity factor. For calculation we need the equation of the relationship between radar reflectivity factor Z ((mm)^6/m^3) and rainfall intensity R (mm/hr). Data of March 5,1995 were used for obtaining the relationship. An equation, Z=1585R^<1.52>, was obtained. Monthly precipitation from August 1993 to March 1995 was estimated using this equation. Two minima of January of February and June were shown in the monthly variation. Monthly cloud amount variation in the same period observed by the Norwegian Polar Institute, in cooperation with the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, showed one minimum of December or January, but did not show another minimum around June. This result suggests that the clouds in June are inefficient for forming precipitation.