First fully diurnal fog and low cloud satellite detection reveals life cycle in the Namib

A groundbreaking algorithm has been developed to detect fog and low clouds (FLCs) over land using only infrared geostationary satellite data, marking the first fully diurnal detection method capable of revealing detailed diurnal and spatial patterns. Applied to the Namib Sand Sea this approach achieved high accuracy with a 94% probability of detection and a 97% overall correctness rate. The study found that FLC timing and persistence vary with proximity to the coast, indicating advection-driven processes dominate the region. This novel method not only advances our understanding of Namibian FLCs but is also transferable for long-term data retrieval in other regions.

Andersen, H., & Cermak, J. (2018). First fully diurnal fog and low cloud satellite detection reveals life cycle in the Namib. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 11(10), 5461–5470. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5461-2018