scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variability of Canadian High Arctic glacier surface albedo from MODIS data, 2001–2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 701-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen A. Mortimer ◽  
Martin Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. Inter-annual variations and longer-term trends in the annual mass balance of glaciers in Canada's Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) are largely attributable to changes in summer melt. The largest source of melt energy in the QEI in summer is net shortwave radiation, which is modulated by changes in glacier surface albedo. We used measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors to investigate large-scale spatial patterns, temporal trends, and variability in the summer surface albedo of QEI glaciers from 2001 to 2016. Mean summer black-sky shortwave broadband albedo (BSA) decreased at a rate of 0.029±0.025 decade−1 over that period. Larger reductions in BSA occurred in July (−0.050±0.031 decade−1). No change in BSA was observed in either June or August. Most of the decrease in BSA, which was greatest at lower elevations around the margins of the ice masses, occurred between 2007 and 2012, when mean summer BSA was anomalously low. The first principal component of the 16-year record of mean summer BSA was well correlated with the mean summer North Atlantic Oscillation index, except in 2006, 2010, and 2016, when the mean summer BSA appears to have been dominated by the August BSA. During the period 2001–2016, the mean summer land surface temperature (LST) over the QEI glaciers and ice caps increased by 0.049±0.038 °C yr−1, and the BSA record was negatively correlated (r: −0.86) with the LST record, indicative of a positive ice-albedo feedback that would increase rates of mass loss from the QEI glaciers.

scholarly journals Characterization of Canadian High Arctic glacier surface albedo from MODIS C6 data, 2001–2016

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen A. Mortimer ◽  
Martin Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Annual Variations ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract. Inter-annual variations and longer-term trends in the annual mass balance of glaciers in Canada's Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) are largely attributable to changes in summer melt. The largest source of melt energy in the QEI in summer is net shortwave radiation, which is modulated by changes in glacier surface albedo. We used measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors to investigate large scale spatial patterns and temporal trends and variability in the summer surface albedo of QEI glaciers and their relationship to observed changes in glacier surface temperature from 2001 to 2016. Mean summer black-sky shortwave broadband albedo (BSA) decreased at a rate of 0.029 ± 0.025 decade-1 over that period. Larger reductions in BSA occurred in July (−0.050 ± 0.031 decade-1). No change in BSA was observed in either June or August. Most of the decrease in BSA, which was greatest at lower elevations around the margins of the ice masses, occurred between 2007 and 2012 when mean summer BSA was anomalously low. The First Principal Component of the 16-year record of mean summer BSA was well correlated with the mean summer North Atlantic Oscillation Index, except in 2006, 2010, and 2016. During this 16-year period, the mean summer LST increased by 0.046 ± 0.036 °C yr-1 and the BSA record was negatively correlated (−0.64, p 

scholarly journals Impact of climate, vegetation, soil and crop management variables on multi-year ISBA-A-gs simulations of evapotranspiration over a Mediterranean crop site

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 2053-2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Garrigues ◽  
A. Olioso ◽  
D. Carrer ◽  
B. Decharme ◽  
E. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Land Surface Parameter ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Generic land surface models are generally driven by large-scale forcing datasets to describe the climate, the surface characteristics (soil texture, vegetation dynamic) and the cropland management (irrigation). This paper investigates the errors in these forcing variables and their impacts on the evapotranspiration (ET) simulated from the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA-A-gs) land surface model over a 12 year Mediterranean crop succession. We evaluate the forcing datasets used in the standard implementation of ISBA over France where the model is driven by the SAFRAN high spatial resolution atmospheric reanalysis, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) cycles derived from the Ecoclimap-II land surface parameter database and the soil texture derived from the French soil database. For climate, we focus on the radiations and rainfall variables and we test additional datasets which includes the ERA-Interim low spatial resolution reanalysis, the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre dataset (GPCC) and the MeteoSat Second Generation (MSG) satellite estimate of downwelling shortwave radiations. The methodology consists in comparing the simulation achieved using large-scale forcing datasets with the simulation achieved using local observations for each forcing variable. The relative impacts of the forcing variables on simulated ET are compared with each other and with the model uncertainties triggered by errors in soil parameters. LAI and the lack of irrigation in the simulation generate the largest mean deviations in ET between the large-scale and the local-scale simulations (equivalent to 24 and 19 months of ET over 12 yr). The climate induces smaller mean deviations equivalent to 7–8 months of ET over 12 yr. The soil texture has the lowest impact (equivalent to 3 months of ET). However, the impact of errors in the forcing variables is smaller than the impact triggered by errors in the soil parameters (equivalent to 27 months of ET). The absence of irrigation which represents 18% of cumulative rainfall over 12 years induces a deficit in ET of 14%. It generates much larger variations in incoming water for the model than the differences in rainfall between the reanalysis datasets. ET simulated with the Ecoclimap-II LAI climatology is overestimated by 18% over 12 years. This is related to the overestimation of the mean LAI over the crop cycle which reveals inaccurate representation of Mediterranean crop cycles. Compared to SAFRAN, the use of the ERA-I reanalysis, the GPCC rainfall and the downwelling shortwave radiation derived from the MSG satellite have little influence on the ET simulation performances. The error in yearly ET is mainly driven by the error in yearly rainfall and to a less extent by radiations. The SAFRAN and MSG satellite shortwave radiation estimates show similar negative biases (−9 and −11 W m−2). The ERA-I bias in shortwave radiations is 4 times smaller at daily time scale. Both SAFRAN and ERA-I underestimate longwave downwelling radiations by −12 and −16 W m−2, respectively. The biases in shortwave and longwave radiations show larger inter-annual variation for SAFRAN than for ERA-I. Regarding rainfall, SAFRAN and ERA-I/GPCC are slightly biased at daily and longer time scales (1 and 0.5% of the mean rainfall measurement). The SAFRAN rainfall estimates are more precise due to the use of the in situ daily rainfall measurements of the Avignon site in the reanalysis.

scholarly journals Irrigation-Induced Land–Atmosphere Feedbacks and Their Impacts on Indian Summer Monsoon

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (21) ◽  
pp. 8785-8801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chihchung Chou ◽  
Dongryeol Ryu ◽  
Min-Hui Lo ◽  
Hao-Wei Wey ◽  
Hector M. Malano
Keyword(s):  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Indian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
North India ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Surface Cooling ◽  
Limited Region ◽  
Feedback Mechanisms

From the 1980s, Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) shows a decreasing trend over north and northwest India, and there was a significant observed reduction in July over central and south India in 1982–2003. The key drivers of the changed ISMR, however, remain unclear. It was hypothesized that the large-scale irrigation development that started in the 1950s has resulted in land surface cooling, which slowed large-scale atmospheric circulation, exerting significant influences on ISMR. To test this hypothesis, a fully coupled model, the CESM v1.0.3, was used with a global irrigation dataset. In this study, spatially varying irrigation-induced feedback mechanisms are investigated in detail at different stages of the monsoon. Results show that soil moisture and evapotranspiration increase significantly over India throughout the summertime because of the irrigation. However, 2-m air temperature shows a significant reduction only in a limited region because the temperature change is influenced simultaneously by surface incoming shortwave radiation and evaporative cooling resulting from the irrigation, especially over the heavily irrigated region. Irrigation also induces a 925-hPa northeasterly wind from 30°N toward the equator. This is opposite to the prevailing direction of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) wind that brings moist air to India. The modeled rainfall in the irrigated case significantly decreases up to 1.5 mm day−1 over central and north India from July to September. This paper reveals that the irrigation can contribute to both increasing and decreasing the surface temperature via multiple feedback mechanisms. The net effect is to weaken the ISM with the high spatial and temporal heterogeneity.

scholarly journals Analysis of a 3 year meteorological record from the ablation zone of Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland: energy and mass balance

2000 ◽  
Vol 46 (155) ◽  
pp. 571-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Oerlemans
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Longwave Radiation ◽  
Solar Radiation Pressure ◽  
Turbulent Energy ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Snow Temperature

AbstractSince 1 October 1995, an automatic weather station has been operated on the tongue of Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland. The station stands freely on the ice, and sinks with the melting glacier surface. It is located at 2100 m a.s.l., and measures air temperature, wind speed and direction, incoming and reflected solar radiation, pressure and snow temperature. A sonic ranger, mounted to stakes drilled into the ice, measures surface height from which melt rates and snow accumulation can be derived. In this paper the data for the period 1 October 1995 to 30 September 1998 are used to evaluate the surface energy balance. The turbulent energy fluxes are calculated with the bulk method. The turbulent exchange coefficient Ch is used as a control parameter. With Ch = 0.00127 the calculated melt equals the observed melt, which is 17.70 m w.e. over the 3 years. When averaged over the time when melting occurs (i.e. 35% of the time), the mean surface heat flux equals 191 W m−2. Net shortwave radiation contributes 177 W m−2, net longwave radiation −25 W m−2, the sensible-heat flux 31 W m−2 and the latent-heat flux 8 W m−2.

scholarly journals Impact of Covariance Localization on Ensemble Estimation of Surface Downwelling Longwave and Shortwave Radiation Fluxes

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1301-1316
Author(s):  
B. A. Forman ◽  
S. A. Margulis
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Radiative Flux ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Modest Improvement ◽  
Radiation Fluxes ◽  
Flux Estimation

Abstract Accurate estimates of terrestrial hydrologic states and fluxes are, in large part, dependent on accurate estimates of the spatiotemporal variability and uncertainty of land surface forcings, including downwelling longwave (LW) and shortwave (SW) fluxes. However, such characterization of land surface forcings does not always receive proper attention. This study attempts to better estimate LW and SW fluxes, including their uncertainties, by merging different sources of information while considering horizontal error correlations via implementation of a 2D conditioning procedure within a Bayesian framework. A total of 25 experiments were performed utilizing four different, readily available downwelling radiation products. The localized region of space used to constrain horizontal error correlations was defined using an influence length, , specified a priori. Quantitative comparisons are made against an independent, ground-based observational network. In general, results suggest moderate improvement in cloudy-sky LW fluxes and modest improvement in clear-sky SW fluxes during certain times of the year when using the 2D framework relative to a more traditional 1D framework, but only up to a certain influence length scale. Beyond this length scale the flux estimates were typically degraded because of the introduction of spurious correlations. The influence length scale that yielded the greatest improvement in LW radiative flux estimation during cloudy-sky conditions, in general, increased with increasing cloud cover. These findings have implications for improving downwelling radiative flux estimation and further enhancing existing Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) frameworks.

scholarly journals Impact of stratospheric aerosol intervention geoengineering on surface air temperature in China: A surface energy budget perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaochen Liu ◽  
Xianmei Lang ◽  
Dabang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Surface Energy Budget ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Surface Cooling ◽  
Temperature Changes

Abstract. Stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI) geoengineering is a rapid, effective, and promising means to counteract anthropogenic global warming, but the climate response to SAI, with great regional disparities, remains uncertain. In this study, we use Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project G4 experiment simulations from three models (HadGEM2-ES, MIROC-ESM, and MIROC-ESM-CHEM) that offset anthropogenic forcing under medium-low emissions (RCP4.5) by injecting a certain amount of SO2 into the stratosphere every year, to investigate the surface air temperature response to SAI geoengineering over China. It has been shown that the SAI leads to surface cooling over China over the last 40 years of injection simulation (2030–2069), which varies among models, regions and seasons. The spatial pattern of SAI-induced temperature changes over China is mainly due to net surface shortwave radiation changes. We find that changes in solar radiation modification strength, surface albedo, atmospheric water vapor and cloudiness affect surface shortwave radiation. In summer, the increased cloud cover in some regions reduces net surface shortwave radiation, causing strong surface cooling. In winter, both the strong cooling in all three models and the abnormal warming in MIROC-ESM are related to surface albedo changes. Our results suggest that cloud and land surface processes in models may dominate the spatial pattern of SAI-induced surface air temperature changes over China.

scholarly journals Surface Energy Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability on Haig Glacier, Canadian Rocky Mountains

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ebrahimi ◽  
S. J. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Interannual Variations ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Glacier Surface

Abstract. Energy exchanges between the atmosphere and the glacier surface control the net energy available for snow and ice melt. Meteorological and glaciological observations are not always available to measure glacier energy and mass balance directly, so models of energy balance processes are often necessary to understand glacier response to meteorological variability and climate change. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical response of a mid-latitude glacier in the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the daily and interannual variations in the meteorological parameters that govern the surface energy balance. The model's reference conditions are based on 11 years of in situ observations from an automatic weather station at an elevation of 2660 m, in the upper ablation area of Haig Glacier. We use an energy balance model to run sensitivity tests to perturbations in temperature, specific humidity, wind speed, incoming shortwave radiation, and glacier surface albedo. The variables were perturbed one at a time for the duration of the glacier melt season, May to September, for the years 2002–2012. The experiments indicate that summer melt has the strongest sensitivity to interannual variations in incoming shortwave radiation, albedo, and temperature, in that order. To explore more realistic scenarios where meteorological variables and internal feedbacks such as the surface albedo co-evolve, we use the same perturbation approach using meteorological forcing from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) over the period 1979–2014. These experiments provide an estimate of historical variability in Haig Glacier surface energy balance an d melt for years prior to our observational study. The methods introduced in this paper provide a methodology that can be employed in distributed energy balance modelling at regional scales. They also provide the foundation for theoretical framework that can be adapted to compare the climatic sensitivity of glaciers in different climate regimes, e.g., polar, maritime, or tropical environments.

scholarly journals Influence of recent warming and ice dynamics on glacier surface elevations in the Canadian High Arctic, 1995–2014

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (245) ◽  
pp. 450-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLLEEN A. MORTIMER ◽  
MARTIN SHARP ◽  
WESLEY VAN WYCHEN
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Thickness Change ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

ABSTRACTRepeat airborne laser altimetry measurements show widespread thinning (surface lowering) of glaciers in Canada's Queen Elizabeth Islands since 1995. Thinning rates averaged for 50 m elevation bins, were more than three times higher during the period 2005/06 to 2012/14 pentad than during the previous two pentads. Strongly negative thickness change (dh/dt) anomalies from 2005/06 to 2012/14, relative to the 1995–2012/14 mean, suggest that most of the measured thinning occurred during the most recent 5–6 year period when mean summer land surface temperatures (LSTs) were anomalously high and the mean summer black-sky shortwave broadband albedos (BSA) were anomalously low, relative to the 2000/01–15/16 period, and upper-air (700 hPa) and near surface (2 m) air temperatures were between 0.8°C and 1.5°C higher than 1995–2012 mean. Comparisons of dh/dt with mean summer LST and BSA measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and with surface longitudinal strain rates computed from surface velocity fields derived from RADARSAT 1/2 and Landat-7 ETM + data suggest that surface elevation changes were driven mainly by changes in climate. An exception to this occurs along many fast-flowing outlet glaciers where ice dynamics appear also to have played an important role in surface elevation changes.

Product dependency of Fire-driven surface albedo radiative forcing global estimates: a spatial and temporal consistency analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo Mota ◽  
Nadine Gobron ◽  
Christian Lanconelli ◽  
Fabrizio Capucci
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Model Space ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Temporal Consistency ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Albedo Change ◽  
Global Land

<p><span>This paper addresses the product consistency in a cross-ECV model space driven ECV’s to estimate the radiative forcing (RF) due to the direct effect of fire- driven surface albedo change. </span><span>Monthly radiative forcing’s are modeled </span><span>using three Earth Observation land surface albedo (MCD43C3, GlobAlbedo and Copernicus Global Land Services) and five burnt area (FireCCIv4, FireCCIv5, MCD45C5, MCD64C6 and Copernicus Global Land Services) products, and the ERA5 downward Solar radiation at the Surface</span><span>. </span><span>The ensemble consistency is analyzed spatially and seasonally by vegetation cover type using the Land Cover CCI product, and using four spatial resolutions (0.05</span><span>°</span><span>, 0.10</span><span>°</span><span>, 025</span><span>°</span><span> and 0.5</span><span>°). </span><span>Results </span><span>show that depending on the combined products and spatial resolution, estimates can differ significantly. In general, higher estimates result at coarser resolutions and variation between product combinations can differ between 26% to 46%, depending on the type of vegetation. In addition, significant temporal trends of opposing signs can be detected. </span><span>This study presents an example of cross-ECV modelling. Due to the increasing number, and coverage, of Earth Observation satellite programs, these results highlight the need to assess the </span><span>fitness for purpose </span><span>of the derived products.</span></p>

scholarly journals Geographic segmentation, spatial dependencies, and evaluation of the relative position of rain-gauges based on gridded data of mean monthly precipitation: application in Nigeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. G. Aschonitis ◽  
G. O. Awe ◽  
T. P. Abegunrin ◽  
K. A. Demertzi ◽  
D. M. Papamichail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Position ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Monthly Precipitation ◽  
Rain Gauges ◽  
Spatial Dependencies ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Rain Gauge Network

Abstract The aim of the study is to present a combination of techniques for (a) the spatiotemporal analysis of mean monthly gridded precipitation datasets and (b) the evaluation of the relative position of the existing rain-gauge network. The mean monthly precipitation (P) patterns of Nigeria using ∼1 km2 grids for the period 1950–2000 were analyzed and the position of existing rain-gauges was evaluated. The analysis was performed through: (a) correlations of P versus elevation (H), latitude (Lat) and longitude (Lon); (b) principal component analysis (PCA); (c) Iso-Cluster and maximum likelihood classification (MLC) analysis for terrain segmentation to regions with similar temporal variability of mean monthly P; (d) use of MLC to create reliability classes of grid locations based on the mean clusters’ characteristics; and (e) analysis to evaluate the relative position of 33 rain-gauges based on the clusters and their reliability classes. The correlations of mean monthly P versus H, Lat, Lon, and PCA highlighted the spatiotemporal effects of the Inter Tropical Discontinuity phenomenon. The cluster analysis revealed 47 clusters, of which 22 do not have a rain-gauge while eight clusters have more than one rain-gauge. Thus, more rain-gauges and a better distribution are required to describe the spatiotemporal variability of P in Nigeria.

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