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Land use/land cover change effects on temperature trends at U.S. Climate Normals stations
Author(s) -
Hale Robert C.,
Gallo Kevin P.,
Owen Timothy W.,
Loveland Thomas R.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl026358
Subject(s) - environmental science , land cover , climate change , urbanization , climatology , maximum temperature , urban heat island , global warming , mean radiant temperature , physical geography , land use , geography , meteorology , geology , oceanography , civil engineering , economic growth , engineering , economics
Alterations in land use/land cover (LULC) in areas near meteorological observation stations can influence the measurement of climatological variables such as temperature. Urbanization near climate stations has been the focus of considerable research attention, however conversions between non‐urban LULC classes may also have an impact. In this study, trends of minimum, maximum, and average temperature at 366 U.S. Climate Normals stations are analyzed based on changes in LULC defined by the U.S. Land Cover Trends Project. Results indicate relatively few significant temperature trends before periods of greatest LULC change, and these are generally evenly divided between warming and cooling trends. In contrast, after the period of greatest LULC change was observed, 95% of the stations that exhibited significant trends (minimum, maximum, or mean temperature) displayed warming trends.