Spatial distributions of sunshine duration and precipitation using the cloudiness ratio calculated by MODIS satellite data

Abstract

We developed the cloudiness ratio (CR), a climate index calculated using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data considered to be related to sunshine duration and precipitation, and then applied CR in Tottori prefecture during 2000 -2019. The CR correlated well with sunshine duration, the percentage of possible sunshine, and precipitation, and displayed both seasonality and regionality. We used these relationships to produce high-resolution (650 m) maps of the spatial distributions of sunshine duration and precipitation.