Abstract:
Cloud-water resources are defined as the portion of atmospheric hydrometeors, specifically cloud water, that participates in regional atmospheric water-cycle processes within a given period but remains suspended in the atmosphere rather than precipitating to the surface. Quantitative assessment of cloud-water resources and improved understanding of their characteristics and variability provide a fundamental basis for weather modification operations. Based on an established theoretical framework and methodology for cloud-water resource assessment, this study uses the first-generation Chinese global atmospheric reanalysis produced by the China Meteorological Administration, CRA-40, at two spatial resolutions, namely 1°×1° and 0.25°×0.25°, to conduct a diagnostic assessment of cloud-water resources over China in 2024. In addition, cloud-water resources are calculated using the native cloud water content product provided by CRA-40. The assessment results are further compared with corresponding variables from CWR1.0 and ERA5, while the diagnosed cloud water content is evaluated against CERES satellite retrievals. The results show that, against the background of global change, the total atmospheric water vapor, total cloud water, and precipitation over China in 2024 were all substantially higher than their climatological levels. Against the background of global change, the total atmospheric water vapor, total cloud water, and precipitation over China in 2024 were all higher than their multi-year mean values for 2000–2024, while cloud-water resources were close to their multi-year mean. These results indicate that CRA-40 atmospheric reanalysis data have considerable potential for application in cloud-water resource assessment and characterization. The precipitation and mean water-vapor-related variables derived from CRA-40 data at different spatial resolutions are generally consistent with the corresponding CWR1.0 and ERA5 products in terms of spatial distribution, monthly variation, and magnitude. Compared with the coarser-resolution data, the higher-resolution CRA-40 data more clearly represent localized high-value centers of precipitation and cloud water over regions such as the Tianshan Mountains, the Kunlun–Qilian Mountains, and the Yangtze River Basin. This characterizes the finer-scale distribution features of cloud condensation amount, cloud-water resources, and the precipitation efficiency of hydrometeors. Moreover, the hydrometeor fields diagnosed using CRA-40 relative humidity are more stable, and cloud water path (CWP) are closer to those retrieved from CERES satellite observations. The spatial upscaling calculation reduces the influence of differences in data sources and spatial scales on cloud-water resource assessment, resulting in estimates that are broadly consistent with those from CWR1.0.