A model for the estimation of cloud cover from satellite data

In this study, an empirical model for estimating cloud cover from satellite data was developed. The skyviews were installed at 4 stations located in Chiang Mai (18.78°N, 98.98°E), Ubon Ratchathani (15.25°N, 104.87°E), Nakhon Pathom (13.82°N, 100.04°E) and Songkhla (7.20°N, 100.60°E) in order to record the images of the sky. A three - year period (2009-2011) of the cloud cover data derived from the sky images and cloud index derived from MTSAT - 1R satellite data were prepared. Based on these data, a model relating cloud cover to cloud index was formulated. To validate its performance, the model was used to calculate cloud cover at the four stations during a two - year period (2012-2013). It was found that measured and calculated cloud cover were in reasonable agreement, with root mean square differences (RMSD) and mean bias difference (MBD) of 14.9% and -3.4%, respectively.