A pilot study has lead to the establishment of a preliminary predictive relationship for cloud amount as a function of satellite observed system albedo. The United States Air Force 3D-nephanalysis cloud archive is used as the source of cloud data and is compared with monthly mean system albedo values calculated by NOAA/NESS from the NOAA satellite scanning radiometer data at a resolution of 2.5¿ by 2.5¿. The predictive relationship is applied to ocean areas to produce new global oceanic cloud climatologies.