Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Version of Record

Publication Date

5-9-2008

Description

Recently available satellite land cover land use (LCLU) and albedo data are used to study the impact of LCLU change from 1973 to 2000 on surface albedo and radiative forcing for 36 ecoregions covering 43% of the conterminous United States (CONUS). Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snowfree broadband albedo values are derived from Landsat LCLU classification maps located using a stratified random sampling methodology to estimate ecoregion estimates of LCLU induced albedo change and surface radiative forcing. The results illustrate that radiative forcing due to LCLU change may be disguised when spatially and temporally explicit data sets are not used. The radiative forcing due to contemporary LCLU albedo change varies geographically in sign and magnitude, with the most positive forcings (up to 0.284 Wm-2) due to conversion of agriculture to other LCLU types, and the most negative forcings (as low as -0.247 Wm-2) due to forest loss. For the 36 ecoregions considered a small net positive forcing (i.e., warming) of 0.012 Wm-2 is estimated.

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume

35

DOI of Published Version

10.1029/2008GL033567

Type

text

Format

application/pdf

Language

en

Publisher

American Geophysical Union

Rights

© 2008 American Geophysical Union

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