Optimized fractional cloudines determination from five ground-based remote sensing techniques Or

$Page 1: Optimized fractional cloudines determination from five ground-based remote sensing techniques Or$
KNMI, Vaisala, Brussels, 18-10-2012

Optimized fractional cloudines determination from five ground-based remote sensing techniques

OrWhat is the average of Yes and No?

[presentation Vaisala award 2012]

R. Boers1, M. de Haij1, W. Wauben1, H. Klein Baltink1, B. v Ulft1, M. Savenije1, C. Long2

1KNMI, Netherlands2PNL, USA

Special thanks to our managers!

1) Dr. F. Brouwer, Director of KNMI, Dutch Permanent Representative of WMO 2) Dr. B. v Oord, Head, R&D Infrastructure Department, KNMI3) Dr. R. v Oss, Head, Regional Climate Department, KNMI


This is a talk about climate monitoring………… with a potential conflict between

1) Free data access and 2) Budget restrictions


Let’s talk about your neighbour….He/she ..

• Is computer literate, has PC• Has internet connection• Is interested in climate and weather• Is sceptical about climate change• Knows about free data access; after all: he/she is a law-

abiding citizen and taxpayer, and deserves to have access

• Knows how to make a graph or two with .xls• Has some free time on his/her hands


A KNMI time series of fractional cloudiness


What is the chance that he/she will think:

• It’s published on the Internet, therefore it must be true.

I have found climate change!

If I can make this graph with little problems: Why haven’t those guys at the Weather Service picked this up?

What are they doing up there?


The Observer died, the Ceilometer was born


A management decision

Climate change

Climatechange

true truetrue


• So, the graph conveys two truths:

1) About climate change

2) About a management decision to change observations

• Your neighbour is asked to discern between these two truths.


For the interpretation of these type of graphs you need climate monitoring

experts. What are the perfect qualifications? 1) Start Young, Die Old2) Autistic /Myopic3) Asocial4) Micromanager5) Ultraconservative6) Ultrapersistent7) No ambition, no upward mobility8) No wish to publish anything9) Low pay not a problem10) No internet connection, no Twitter, 11) No Facebook

• Be a nerd!!!

KNMI, Vaisala, Brussels, 18-10-2012Observer


The transformation from an Observer to a

Ceilometer









yes no yes yesyes no yes yes yes


A Ceilometer is a colourblind Observer with a telescope and a serious spinal injury


The Observer

The Ceilometer

With a ceilometer, it’s either Yes or No.The average of Yes and No does not exist.


More of either Yes or NoAfter the ManagementDecision


Is a Ceilometer the solution to continue cloud monitoring for climate purposes? Only in a very limited sense. It is a

columnar method.

Can we find better ways? Yes, we can!

We have proven that hemispheric methods yield results that better emulate the Observer.

Suggested solution: A sky scanning IR

radiometer: Nubiscopecombined with a

Scanning ceilometer


Thank you for your attention!

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Optimized fractional cloudines determination from five ground-based remote sensing techniques Or