**[HIGH CLOUD COVER RESULTS IN HIGHER AMOUNT OF RAINFALL]{.underline}**

***[EMMANUEL ADJEI-BOADI]{.underline}***

***[An SSS2 General Science Student: Kintampo Secondary School,
Kintampo, Ghana]{.underline}***

**[1.0 INTRODUCTION]{.underline}**

When we move from one place to another we observe different clouds. It
is obvious that the clouds observe early morning changes as the day
progresses. **Clouds** are the visible grey or white mass seen in the
atmosphere. Cloud observation is a measure of Cloudtype and Cloud cover
at a giving period of time.

Cloudtype is a measure of the type of clouds experienced at a given time
and this can be done by comparing the cloud under observation to the
GLOBE cloud chart which contain pictures and names of the different
cloud type. There are ten types of cloud and these are grouped into
three categories. Namely, Low, Middle and High clouds. Low clouds are
clouds observed very closed to the earth and include cumulus,
cumulonimbus, stratocumulus and Nimbostratus. High clouds are clouds
observed very high in the sky as compared low clouds. Middle clouds are
clouds observed in between high and low clouds, these include
Altocumulus and Altostratus. All these cloud types have their unique
features used in their identification. For instance, when a low cloud
with a flat base and a dense mount shaped top is observed, it is a
cumulus.

On the other hand cloud cover is the measure of the amount of cloud that
has occupied the sky within a given period. Percentage cloud cover is
cloud cover expressed in percentage. In this measurement a site where
most of the sky can be observed is located. The cloud cover is estimated
by critically observing the sky and determining the amount of cloud that
has occupied the sky. There are five different description of cloud
covers. These are:

-   Clear: This is when a small fraction of the sky is occupied by
    clouds

-   Isolated: When the sky is covered with about 9-24% of clouds.

-   Scattered: When the sky is covered with about 25-49% of clouds

-   Broken: When the sky is covered with about 50 - 89% of clouds

-   Overcast: This is when almost all the sky is covered with clouds.

In case when the sky is observed and no clouds are found, the sky is
considered to be obscured and is indicated whether the obscuration is as
a result of the following:

Smoke, dust, haze, fogs and at times rainfall.

Rainfall refers to the liquid precipitation that falls from the
atmosphere to the earth

surface and includes drizzle. The instrument used in measuring rainfall
is called the RAIN GAUGE.

**[2.0 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH.]{.underline}**

1.  To verify whether the percentage of cloud observed at a given period
    of time has effect on the amount rainfall at that period

2.  To also find out whether high percentages of cloud result in higher
    rainfall values.

**[3.0 RESEARCH METHOD.]{.underline}**

The research question was answered by comparing data on atmosphere
specifically cloud cover and total monthly rainfall from three globe
schools. These schools are Kintampo Secondary School, in Ghana, Lycee
Blaise in Senegal and Kingsburg High School in U.S.A.

The ATMOSPHERIC DATA from Kintampo Secondary School were collected by
GLOBE students in the school, myself included. Data from Lycee and
Kingsburg were obtained from the GLOBE website on the Internet. This was
done by downloading the data directly. The data obtained were gathered
and reported to the GLOBE on line at solar noon by students of each
school and covered a period of 1^st^ January 2002 to 31^st^ December,
2002. Solar noon is the period of time when the sun is directly overhead
and can be determined by dividing the time of sunrise and sun set by
two. For instance, if the sunrises at 6:00 am and sets at 18:00pm, the
Solar Noon of this area is sum of the two value divided by 2. In this
case therefore the solar noon will be 12 noon.

**3.1 LOCATION OF SCHOOLS**

**[Table 3.1: Table showing school location]{.underline}**

  --------------------------- ------------- -------------- --------------
  SCHOOL                      LATITUDE      LONGITUDE      ELEVATION

  Kintampo Secondary School   8.0670 N      -1.7230 W      218.1 m

  Lycee Blaise                14.6968 N     -17.4533W      24.0 m

  Kingsburg High School       36.5197 N     -119.5463W     129.5 m
  --------------------------- ------------- -------------- --------------

**[5.0 DATA SUMMARY]{.underline}**

  -------------- ------------- -------- ---------- -------- ------------- ---------
  **TOTAL                                                                 
  RAINFALL AND                                                            
  PERCENTAGE                                                              
  AVERAGE                                                                 
  MONTHLY CLOUD                                                           
  COVER**                                                                 

                 **Kintampo             **Lycee             **Kingsburg   
                 Secondary**            BLAISE**            High School** 

  **MONTH**      %AMCLC        TMRAIN   %AMCLC     TMRAIN   %AMCLC        TMRAIN

  JANUARY                      0                   0.3      60            68.9

  FEBRUARY       11            0        18         0        32            7.3

  MARCH          22            57.6     21         0        29            13

  APRIL          45            136.8    10         0        26            4.3

  MAY                          108.6    13         0        18            0

  JUNE           55            156.7    44         0        9             0.1

  JULY           62            233.8    50         0        9             0.3

  AUGUST         68            167.8    27         95.4     9             0

  SEPTEMBER      81            270.1    39         113.5    15            0.3

  OCTOBER        65            233.9    17         14       26            0

  NOVEMBER       53            31.5     \-         \--      55            59.9

  DECEMBER       28            12.8     \-         \-       49            49.2
  -------------- ------------- -------- ---------- -------- ------------- ---------

**[5.0 DATA ANALYSIS:]{.underline}**

Definitions: Months with Percentage Monthly Average Cloud cover below
25% are

termed as **Low Cloud** cover months. Months with Percentage Monthly
Average Cloud Cover between 25% and 50% are termed as **average cloud
cover months.**

Months with percentage monthly average cloud cover above 50% are termed
as **high cloud cover months.**

In Kintampo Secondary School, Low clouds were recorded in the months of
February and March and this represented in the table below with their
respective rainfall values;

Table 5.1: % Low Cloud Cover Months and rainfall (mm)

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  Months                  %Cloud Cover            Rainfall (mm)

  February                11                      0.0

  March                   22                      57.6

                                                  
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

April and December were average cloud cover months this can be presented
as below:

**[Table 5.2 % Average Cloud Cover Months and
Rainfall(mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **Months**              **% Cloud Cover**       **Rainfall (mm)**

  April                   45                      136.8

  December                28                      12.8
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

> .

June, August through November were all high cloudcover months. This and
rainfall values are tabulated below.

**[Table 5.3: % High Cloud Cover Months and Rainfall (mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **Months**              **% Cloud Cover**       **Rainfall (mm)**

  June                    55                      156.7

  July                    62                      233.8

  August                  68                      167.8

  September               81                      270.1

  October                 65                      233.9

  November                53                      31.5
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

High monthly cloud cover ranged between 50% to 100%. Total monthly
rainfall recorded for these months were; 156.7 mm, 233.8 mm 167.8 mm,
270.1 mm 233.9 and finally 31.5 mm respectively.

In Kingsburg High School, low cloud cover were reported in the months of
May, June, July, August and September with percentage cloud cover values
ranging between 9 - 24% This is represented in the table below:

**[Table 5.4 : % Low Cloud Cover Months and Rainfall (mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  Months                  \% Cloud Cover          Rainfall (mm)

  May                     18                      0.0

  June                    9                       0.1

  July                    9                       0.3

  August                  9                       0.0

  September               15                      0.3
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

February, March, April, October, and December were all averaged
cloudcover months

with percentage monthly cloud cover ranging between 25 to 50 %. This is
represented

in the table below.

**[Table 5.5: % averaged Cloud Cover Months and
Rainfall.(mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  Months                  \% Cloud Cover          Rainfall (mm)

  February                32                      7.3

  March                   29                      13.0

  April                   26                      4.3

  October                 26                      0.0

  December                49                      49.2
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

High Cloud Cover months in this school were January and November and
this is also

represented in the table below:

**[Table 5.6: % High Cloud Cover Months and Rainfall (mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  Months                  \% Cloud Cover          Rainfall (mm)

  January                 60                      68.9

  November                55                      59.9
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

In Lycee Blaise, low cloudcover were recorded in the months of February,
March, April, May and October with monthly averaged cloud cover ranging
between 9 - 25%. The rainfall values recorded for these months were
0.0mm, 0.0mm, 0.0mm, 0.0mm, 14mm respectively.

This is represented as follows

**[Table 5.7:% Low Cloud Cover Months and Rainfall (mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **Month**               **% Cloud Cover**       **Rainfall (mm)**

  February                18                      0.0

  March                   21                      0.0

  April                   10                      0.0

  May                     13                      0.0

  October                 11                      14.0
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

June, August and September, were found to be averaged cloudcover months
with respective rainfall values of 0.0 mm, 95.4 mm and 113.5 mm and this
is also represented in the table below;

**[Table 5.8: % Averaged Cloud Cover Months and Rainfall
(mm)]{.underline}**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **Months**              **% Cloud cover**       **Rainfall (mm)**

  June                    44                      0.0

  August                  27                      95.4

  September               39                      113.5

                                                  
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

July in this school recorded the highest %cloud cover of 50 with
rainfall value of 0.0mm.

In Kintampo Secondary School careful observation revealed that almost
all the high cloud cover months resulted in high amount of rainfall
whiles low cloud cover resulted in low amount of rainfall.. For instance
September recorded 81% of cloud cover with the heaviest rainfall value
of 270.1 mm whiles February recorded the least % cloud cover with the
least rainfall value of 0.0 mm. However, there was slight variation to
the above observation in November and March. That is, although November
recorded a higher % cloud cover of 53 with rainfall value of 31.5 mm,
March recorded 22% cloud cover yet the rainfall value was 57.6 mm.

Generally, though, increase in % cloud cover in this school were found
to result in high rainfall value. In Kingsburg High school the same
observations as seen in Kintampo Secondary were made. That is, high %
clouds cover resulted in high rainfall values. This is clear in table
4.4 and 4.5.

However, in Lycee Blaise in Senegal the exact was opposite was observed.
That is high percentage cloud cover in this school did not result in
high amount of rainfall.

For instance, although July recorded the highest % cloud cover of 50%.
it had no rainfall.

August and September although had average % cloud cover, the highest
rainfall values were recorded in these two months.

In the same school however, certain months with low % cloud cover
produce no rainfall. That is, conforming to the observation made in
Kintampo Secondary School and Kingsburg High school.

**[6.0 CONCLUSIONS:]{.underline}**

The following conclusions can be drawn;

1.  High percentage cloud cover results in high amount of rainfall.

2\. High % cloud cover occurs at any time and this is dependent on the
location of the site being studied.