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<p>Clouds exert a first-order influence on Earth’s radiation budget and hydrological cycle, with cloud-base height (CBH) serving as a key parameter in climate modeling and aviation. However, CBH variability in the complex orographic transition between the Loess Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau remains poorly characterized. Using four years (2020–2023) of ceilometer observations from Guyuan in the Liupan Mountains, we analyze the seasonal and diurnal variability of cloud base height (CBH), cloud occurrence, and cloud layering in this complex-terrain region. Cloud occurrence was highest in autumn (72.4%) and lowest in winter (62.5%). Single-layer clouds dominated year-round (about half of cloudy cases), while multilayer clouds were more frequent in summer. CBH was generally lower during daytime than at night across seasons. Autumn had the lowest mean CBH and weakest diurnal variability, while spring exhibited the highest mean CBH and largest diurnal range. Low-level clouds prevailed throughout, highlighting the importance of near-surface processes. A bimodal CBH distribution in spring and winter suggests seasonally dependent cloud-layer organization. These findings provide the first detailed observational characterization of CBH in this transition zone, supporting regional weather monitoring, model evaluation, and climate studies in complex terrain.</p>

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Observing Cloud Base Height Variations in the Complex Orographic Transition Zone Between the Loess Plateau and the Inner Mongolia Plateau Using a Ceilometer

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月8日

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  • Zhuolin Chang,
  • Yang Cui,
  • Lei Tian,
  • Yanbo Dai,
  • Le Jia,
  • Longyan Li,
  • Zhangli Dang,
  • Nan Zhou,
  • Simin Ma

摘要

Clouds exert a first-order influence on Earth’s radiation budget and hydrological cycle, with cloud-base height (CBH) serving as a key parameter in climate modeling and aviation. However, CBH variability in the complex orographic transition between the Loess Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau remains poorly characterized. Using four years (2020–2023) of ceilometer observations from Guyuan in the Liupan Mountains, we analyze the seasonal and diurnal variability of cloud base height (CBH), cloud occurrence, and cloud layering in this complex-terrain region. Cloud occurrence was highest in autumn (72.4%) and lowest in winter (62.5%). Single-layer clouds dominated year-round (about half of cloudy cases), while multilayer clouds were more frequent in summer. CBH was generally lower during daytime than at night across seasons. Autumn had the lowest mean CBH and weakest diurnal variability, while spring exhibited the highest mean CBH and largest diurnal range. Low-level clouds prevailed throughout, highlighting the importance of near-surface processes. A bimodal CBH distribution in spring and winter suggests seasonally dependent cloud-layer organization. These findings provide the first detailed observational characterization of CBH in this transition zone, supporting regional weather monitoring, model evaluation, and climate studies in complex terrain.