Operational application of Fengyun geostationary meteorological satellites to cloud observation products.

Cloud products from geostationary satellites are the main alternative to surface synoptic cloud observations (SYNOP), and have become the baseline products for the development and construction of the Quality Management System (QMS) of integrated meteorological observation in China. This study addresses the needs of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) for such an operational reform, and it is carried out using real-time observations obtained from the Fengyun-2E (FY-2E) geostationary satellite in 2012 to derive cloud total amount and classification using two different methods. Compared to surface SYNOP observations, the cloud total amount estimated by FY-2E is generally significantly lower (about 30% lower on average). The cloud classification resulting from the two methods used in this study is also significantly different from the classification obtained from surface observations (difference between 22 and 32%). The difference is smaller for the classification method, which uses additional auxiliary temperature profiles.