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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336635

Title: Using albedo to reform wind erosion modelling, mapping and monitoring

Author
item WEBB, NICHOLAS - New Mexico State University
item CHAPPELL, ADRIAN - Non ARS Employee

Submitted to: Aeolian Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/24/2016
Publication Date: 12/28/2016
Citation: Webb, N., Chappell, A. 2016. Using albedo to reform wind erosion modelling, mapping and monitoring. Aeolian Research. 23:63-78.

Interpretive Summary: This paper develops the application of albedo data obtained from a spaceborne satellite (MODIS) for approximating land surface aerodynamic properties that can be used for wind erosion modelling, mapping and monitoring. The work draws on the relation between shadowing of the land surface due to the presence of roughness elements (e.g., vegetation) and the sheltering effects of the roughness in the presence of wind. Global and national (Australia) data are produced of key aerodynamic properties (e.g., lateral cover, aerodynamic roughness height, and drag partition) and their utility is shown for reducing the complexity of wind erosion models and monitoring global wind erosion every 8 days at a 500 m spatial resolution.

Technical Abstract: Dust emission models are used to assess the impacts of dust on radiative forcing in the atmosphere, cloud formation, nutrient fertilisation and human health. We describe a need in aeolian research to adequately represent the spatial variability and particularly the area average of the key aerodynamic properties which influence these models and our understanding of the processes. The models are underpinned by a two-dimensional geometric property (lateral cover; L) used to characterise the three-dimensional aerodynamic roughness (sheltered area or wakes) of the Earth’s surface and calibrate the momentum it extracts from the wind. We reveal a fundamental weakness in L and its latent influence on roughness configuration and demonstrate that significant aerodynamic interactions between roughness elements and their sheltered areas have been omitted particularly under sparse surface roughness (0.001