Roldán‐Henao et al. (2026) Climatology of Cloud‐Land‐Surface Coupling Across Different ARM Sites

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-02
• Authors: Natalia Roldán‐Henao, Tianning Su, Zhanqing li, Youtong Zheng, John E. Yorks
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd044010

Research Groups

The specific research groups, labs, or departments are not explicitly mentioned in the provided abstract. The study utilizes observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility.

Short Summary

This study explores low-level cloud-surface coupling over continental regions using observations from five sites across three continents, revealing consistent coupling thresholds and distinct thermodynamic and dynamic characteristics between coupled (66% of cases, humid, connected vertical motion, warmer) and decoupled (34% of cases, drier, colder, detached vertical motion) clouds.

Objective

• To explore the different states of coupling between low-level clouds and the surface over continental regions.
• To perform a climatological analysis of cloud-surface interactions across multiple continental sites.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Five countries across three continents (multi-site, continental scale).
• Temporal Scale: Climatological analysis, including diurnal (warmer hours) and seasonal variations.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not explicitly mentioned; the study is observation-based.
• Data sources: Observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility.

Main Results

• Consistent cloud-surface coupling thresholds and average percentages were found across the five continental sites.
• Coupled clouds accounted for 66% of the observed cases, while decoupled clouds accounted for 34%.
• Coupled clouds: Characterized by humid environments where vertical motions connect the surface and lower atmosphere to the cloud base, favoring boundary layer cloud formation. They peak during warmer hours and seasons.
• Decoupled clouds: Prefer drier and colder environments with vertical motions inside the boundary layer being detached from the cloud base, hindering boundary layer cloud formation. They peak during colder hours and seasons.
• Distinct thermodynamic and dynamic differences exist between coupled and decoupled cloud states.

Contributions

• Provides a novel climatological analysis of low-level cloud-surface coupling across diverse continental regions, addressing uncertainties in this complex interaction.
• Quantifies the prevalence of coupled versus decoupled cloud states over continental areas.
• Identifies specific thermodynamic, dynamic, and temporal characteristics that differentiate coupled and decoupled low-level clouds.
• Underscores the complexity of cloud-land-surface interactions, laying groundwork for future investigations into cloud formation and evolution under varying atmospheric conditions.

Funding

Funding information is not provided in the abstract.

Citation

@article{RoldánHenao2026Climatology,
  author = {Roldán‐Henao, Natalia and Su, Tianning and li, Zhanqing and Zheng, Youtong and Yorks, John E.},
  title = {Climatology of Cloud‐Land‐Surface Coupling Across Different ARM Sites},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd044010},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd044010}
}