Characterization of Surface Albedo over the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) and the North Slope of Alaska (NSA)

Researchers: Li, Zhanqing; Cribb, Maureen; Trishchenko, Alexander

Surface albedo is needed for satellite remote sensing of the surface radiation budget and for climate modeling. Determination of areal-mean surface albedo is challenging. Over the Southern Great Plains (SGP), a primary challenge lies in the inhomogeneity associated with different land cover types. Over the North Slope of Alaska (NSA), persistent cloud cover renders remote sensing of surface albedo difficult. We tackle both challenges following two different approaches. Over the SGP, we use data collected at the extended facilities located within the Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) region to develop a climatology of spatially and seasonally variable surface albedo by combining ground-based observations with space-borne remote sensing.

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