Identification

Title

Global satellite data highlights the diurnal asymmetry of the surface temperature response to deforestation

Abstract

Uncertainties remain about the spatial pattern and magnitude of the biophysical effects of deforestation. In particular, a diurnal asymmetry in the magnitude and sign of the surface temperature response to deforestation (T-S) has been observed, but the biophysical processes that contribute to day and nighttime T-S are not fully understood. In this study, we use a space-for-time approach with satellite and reanalysis data to investigate the biophysical processes that control the day and nighttime T-S. Additionally, we incorporate flux-tower data to examine two hypotheses for nighttime forest warming relative to open lands: (1) that forests generate turbulence in the stable nocturnal boundary layer, which brings heat aloft down to the surface, and (2) that forests store more heat during the day and release it at night. Our results confirm a diurnal asymmetry in T-S. Over most regions of the world, deforestation results in daytime warming and nighttime cooling. The strongest daytime warming is in the tropics, where the average T-S is 4.40.07K. The strongest nighttime cooling is observed in the boreal zone, where open lands are cooler than forests by an average of 1.40.04K. Daytime patterns of T-S are explained by differences in the latent heat flux (LE) and absorbed solar radiation (K-a). We find that nighttime T-S is related to the strength of the nocturnal temperature inversion, with stronger temperature inversions at high latitudes and weak inversions in the tropics. Forest turbulence at night combined with stored heat release drives nighttime T-S patterns.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d75b04fm

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2017-04-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact