Impact of revised and potential future albedo estimates on CCSM3 simulations of growing-season surface temperature fields for North America

Authors

Warren E. Heilman, USDA Forest ServiceFollow
David Y. Hollinger, USDA Forest Service
Xiuping Li, USDA Forest Service
Xindi Bian, USDA Forest Service
Shiyuan Zhong, USDA Forest Service

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2010

Comments

Published in Atmos. Sci. Let., 11: 319–326, (2010). DOI: 10.1002/asl.301

Abstract

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.