HR: 11:00h
AN: U51C-03    [PDF]
TI: Detecting and Simulating Urban-induced Climate Changes via EOS observations and NCAR Community Land Model
AU: * Jin, M
EM: mjin@atmos.umd.edu
AF: Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 United States
AU: Peters-Lidard, C
EM: cpeters@hsb.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Hydrological Sciences Branch, NASA-GSFC Code 974 Greenbelt, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: Advanced EOS observations provide us an unique opportunity to detect and simulate urban induced climate changes. Using 5km EOS MODIS-observed skin temperature, land cover, albedo, emissivity, LAI, aerosol optical depth, and cloud properties, we examine the surface-atmosphere interactions and urban heat island effects from selected big cities (New York, Beijing, Phoenix, and Houston) to global coverage. These analyses address physical processes modified by urban constructions as well as the general features of urban climate. We find the largest urban impacts in terms of temperature are observed over 30-60N, where most cities are located. In addition, urban regions overall decrease surface albedo by 3-5% and decrease surface emissivity by 1-2%. Focusing on Houston, we develop an urban scheme and couple it into NCAR Community Land Model (CLM-urban) to simulate urban climate. CLM-urban can improve the simulation of water and energy cycles over Houston with the use of observed LAI, albedo and emissivity, as well as urban thermal properties.
DE: 0345 Pollution--urban and regional (0305)
DE: 1610 Atmosphere (0315, 0325)
DE: 1620 Climate dynamics (3309)
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
SC: U
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting