Resumo

FARIAS SALVADOR, Martín; CERECEDA TRONCOSO, Pilar; OSSES MCINTYRE, Pablo  e  NUNEZ CARDENAS, Rodrigo. Spatial and temporal behavior of the stratocumulus cloud, fog producer in the coast of the Atacama desert (21° south lat., 70° west long.), during one month of winter and another of summer. Invest. Geog [online]. 2005, n.56, pp.43-61. ISSN 2448-7279.

This paper shows the use of GOES satellite images, every 90 minutes, to study the spatial and temporal behavior of the stratocumulus clouds, which produce the advective fog, in a coastal sector of the Atacama desert. This potential hydrological resource, which has an important influence in the desert ecosystems, is also investigated with the intention to supply drinkable water to little villages, for agriculture, watering places for animals and reforestation. Through the comparison of the behavior of this type of cloud between two months, winter and summer, the study determines its daily and monthly cycles, the frequency of its presence, penetration corridors from the ocean to the continent, potential places to catch water and a big difference between the selected months.

Palavras-chave : Stratocumulus; fog; desert; remote sensing.