Ecoclimatic cloud zonation in the Galapagos
This note summarizes the 2025 journal article by Turini et al., published in Atmospheric Research. The paper argues that operational satellite cloud products need local adjustment to capture the ecoclimatic cloud zonation of the Galapagos Islands.
Main idea
Cloud occurrence over the archipelago is not just a generic remote-sensing variable. It is tightly linked to elevation, island exposure, cool eastern Pacific waters, and the seasonal Garua regime. Because of that, off-the-shelf cloud products can miss the cloud belts that matter most for ecological moisture gradients.
Scientific importance
- It strengthens the interpretation of cloud frequency as a climate-ecological signal.
- It links persistent Stratocumulus and fog exposure to vegetation belts and Occult precipitation.
- It shows why Galapagos climate analysis benefits from combining satellite products with field observations and Dynamical downscaling.
See also: Cloud frequency in the Galapagos, Garua, Galapagos refined analysis