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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 30, NO. 8,
1443,
doi:10.1029/2002GL016749,
2003
Assessment of global climate model land surface albedo using MODIS data
Keith W. Oleson
Climate and Global Dynamics Division,
National Center for Atmospheric Research,
Boulder,
Colorado,
USA
Gordon B. Bonan
Climate and Global Dynamics Division,
National Center for Atmospheric Research,
Boulder,
Colorado,
USA
Crystal Schaaf
Department of Geography and Center for Remote Sensing,
Boston University,
Boston,
Massachusetts,
USA
Feng Gao
Department of Geography and Center for Remote Sensing,
Boston University,
Boston,
Massachusetts,
USA
Yufang Jin
Department of Geography and Center for Remote Sensing,
Boston University,
Boston,
Massachusetts,
USA
Alan Strahler
Department of Geography and Center for Remote Sensing,
Boston University,
Boston,
Massachusetts,
USA
Abstract
Land surface albedo from the Community Land Model is compared to white-sky (diffuse) and black-sky albedo (direct at local
solar noon) from MODIS. Generally, comparisons are more favorable in summer than winter, for visible waveband than near-infrared
in regions without snow cover, and for black- than white-sky. In regions with extensive snow cover, the model overestimates
white- and black-sky albedo by up to 20% absolute. The snow-free visible and near-infrared black-sky albedo is simulated quite
well with biases within ±5% over most of the land surface. However, a large negative model bias was found for the Sahara Desert
and Arabian Peninsula, particularly in the near-infrared. The poorer simulation of white- compared to black-sky albedo in
vegetated areas implies that the model may be overestimating the increase of albedo with solar zenith angle. These results
identify several areas that should have priority in further evaluating and improving albedo in the model.
Published 30
April
2003.
Index Terms: 3322 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Land/atmosphere interactions; 3359 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Radiative processes; 3360 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Remote sensing.
Read Full Article (file size: 607855 bytes) Cited by
Citation: Oleson, K. W., G. B. Bonan, C. Schaaf, F. Gao, Y. Jin, and A. Strahler
(2003),
Assessment of global climate model land surface albedo using MODIS data,
Geophys. Res. Lett.,
30(8),
1443,
doi:10.1029/2002GL016749.
Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.
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