Automatic cloud top height determination in mountainous areas using a cost-effective time-lapse camera system

Schulz, H. M.; Chang, S.-C.; Thies, B.; Bendix, J.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4185-2014

Articles | Volume 7, issue 12

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4185-2014

© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4185-2014

© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 7, issue 12

Research article

|

05 Dec 2014

Research article |

| 05 Dec 2014

Automatic cloud top height determination in mountainous areas using a cost-effective time-lapse camera system

H. M. Schulz, S.-C. Chang, B. Thies, and J. Bendix

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Final revised paper (published on 05 Dec 2014)
Preprint (discussion started on 21 Mar 2014)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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- Supplement

RC C1321: 'Referee comment, 11 Jun 2014', Anonymous Referee #1, 11 Jun 2014
- AC C1357: 'response to anonymous referee #1', Boris Thies, 18 Jun 2014
RC C1957: 'review', Anonymous Referee #2, 30 Jul 2014
- AC C2128: 'response to anonymous referee #2, minor comments', Boris Thies, 12 Aug 2014
- AC C2791: 'response to anonymous referee #2, major comments', Boris Thies, 20 Sep 2014

Short summary

A new method is presented for the determination of cloud top heights using the footage of a time-lapse camera that is placed above a frequently occurring cloud layer in a mountain valley. Contact points between cloud tops and underlying terrain are automatically detected in the camera image based on differences in the brightness, texture and movement of cloudy and non-cloudy areas. The height of the detected cloud top positions is determined by comparison with a digital elevation model project.