Open AccessImpact of revised and potential future albedo estimates on CCSM3 simulations of growing‐season surface temperature fields for North America
Author(s) -
Heilman Warren E.,
Hollinger David Y.,
Li Xiuping,
Bian Xindi,
Zhong Shiyuan
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.301
Subject(s) - albedo (alchemy) , environmental science , growing season , deciduous , climatology , climate model , atmospheric sciences , vegetation (pathology) , climate change , grassland , ecology , geology , medicine , art , pathology , performance art , biology , art history
Recently published albedo research has resulted in improved growing‐season albedo estimates for forest and grassland vegetation. The impact of these improved estimates on the ability of climate models to simulate growing‐season surface temperature patterns is unknown. We have developed a set of current‐climate surface temperature scenarios for North America using the Community Climate System Model—Version 3 (CCSM3). Simulation results suggest that modifications to the default CCSM3 radiative parameters that are consistent with more recent accurate measurements of albedo values for grasslands and needle‐leaf deciduous trees (NDTs) can reduce the overall growing‐season surface temperature bias over North America in CCSM3 simulations. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society