A geographic perspective on fog and low clouds in the Namib Desert

Abstract: Fog and low clouds are a defining characteristic of the climate of the Namib Desert, and its water and nutrient input are important for local ecosystems. However, partly due to sparse historical observations, this system is only poorly understood. In a changing climate, fog spatial and temporal patterns are likely to change as well; however, neither sign nor magnitude of this change is known, because weather and climate models cannot adequately resolve this phenomenon, underscoring the relevance of improving the system understanding with observations. In this presentation, observations from the recent Namib Fog Life Cycle Analysis (NaFoLiCA) project are shown. Spatial and temporal patterns of fog and low clouds (retrieved from satellite), as well as mechanisms controlling its variability are highlighted. Perspectives for future research are discussed.