A new method is presented for the determination of cloud top heights using the footage ofa time-lapse camera that is placed above a frequently occurring cloud layerin a mountain valley. Contact points between cloud tops andunderlying terrain are automatically detected in the camera image based ondifferences in the brightness, texture and movement of cloudy and non-cloudyareas. The height of the detected cloud top positions is determined bycomparison with a digital elevation model projected to the view of thecamera. The technique has been validated using data about the cloud immersionof a second camera as well as via visual assessment. The validation shows ahigh detection quality, especially regarding the requirements for thevalidation of satellite cloud top retrieval algorithms.
展开▼
