Atmospheric conditions governing anomalies of the summer and winter cloudiness in Spitsbergen

Abstract

The study is based on data concerning cloudiness for the years 1981-2010 from Svalbard Lufthavn. Atmospheric circulation was characterized using a catalogue of circulation types developed by Niedźwiedź (2013) and average daily values of atmospheric pressure. Intensive cyclogenesis taking place over the north Atlantic expressed by lower-than-normal sea level pressure (SLP), particularly over the Fram Strait and over the east coast of Greenland, enhances the meridional air transport from the southern sector which conveys positive anomalies of cloudiness, namely a very cloudy weather. Negative anomalies of cloudiness over Svalbard Lufthavn occur in the winter when the north Atlantic cyclone path is shifted to the south and goes along the northern Norwegian shore towards the south Barents Sea. In summer, the influence of pressure patterns on cloudiness is weaker than in winter and different circulation patterns induce negative extremes of cloudiness. In the warm season, sunny weather occurs when a distinct anticyclone spreads over the Svalbard Archipelago and to its west, over the Fram Strait and the northern outskirts of the Greenland Sea. Extremely cloudy weather occurs in summer when a weak anticyclone spreads over the Barents Sea, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the Kara Sea, while slightly lower-than-normal pressure is observed over Greenland. Such a pressure pattern enhances southerly and south-westerly flow of air masses, bringing humid air. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that cloudiness over Spitsbergen is strongly controlled by the air circulation arising from pressure patterns.

Combining high spatial resolution snow mapping and meteorological analyses to improve forecasting of destructive avalanches in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

“…Previous work from this region has employed the subjective classification from Niedźwiedź (2013) to relate atmospheric circulation patterns to recent climatic warming across the archipelago , to analyze meteorological conditions and snow distribution on selected glacial systems (Laska et al, 2017;Małecki, 2015), and to characterize wintertime rainon-snow events (Wickström et al, 2020). Additional research on synoptic-scale meteorological processes in Svalbard includes works examining the effects of atmospheric circulation on air temperatures (e.g., Bednorz and Fortuniak, 2011;Bednorz and Kolendowicz, 2013), precipitation patterns (e.g., , cloudiness (Bednorz et al, 2016), and extratropical cyclone activity (Rinke et al, 2017;.…”

Cloud cover over Spitsbergen and its relation to atmospheric circulation (1983-2015)

“…The type and occurrence of cloud cover may indicate a current state of the atmosphere, or spell its future modification. Clouds may undergo various modifications, thus significantly influencing the radiation balance of the Earth surface and atmosphere and finally impacting air temperature (IPCC 2007;Przybylak 2007;Vavrus et al 2011;Matuszko & Soroka 2013;Bednorz et al 2016). Cloud cover modifies the amount of the solar radiation reaching the Earth surface and thus significantly influences human general sensation (Araźny 2008).…”

“…Cloud cover and its relation to atmospheric circulation in the short-term period of 2010-2011 was also discussed over NW Spitsbergen (Kejna 2012). The research on atmospheric conditions during an anomalous cloud cover in winter and summer at Svalbard Lufthavn station indicated its strong dependence on the air pressure pattern at sea level (Bednorz et al 2016).…”

Global Radiative Flux and Cloudiness Variability for the Period 1959–2010 in Belgium: A Comparison between Reanalyses and the Regional Climate Model MAR

“…Afterwards, a circulation type classification (as the one developed by Belleflamme et al [67]) could be used to associate the daily cloudiness to some types of general circulation. The temporal evolution of these circulation types could then be studied as was done in Bednorz et al [68] and Lupikaszca and Lipinski [69]. Finally, it might also be interesting to verify whether such a decrease in cloudiness would be projected if MAR was forced by GCM-based future projections.…”