Climatology and changes in cloud cover in the area of the Black, Caspian, and Aral seas (1991-2010): a comparison of surface observations with satellite and reanalysis products

This article presents a climatology of total cloud cover ( TCC ) in the area of the three inland Eurasian seas (Black, Caspian, and Aral Sea). Analyses are performed on the basis of 20 years of data (1991–2010), collected from almost 200 ground stations. Average TCC is 49%, with broad spatial and seasonal variability: minimum TCC values are found in summer and to the southeast, whereas maximum values correspond to winter and to the northwest....