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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364797
Research Project: Science and Technologies for the Sustainable Management of Western Rangeland Systems

Location: Range Management Research

Title: Area estimates of wind friction velocity derived from net radiometers and MODIS albedo

Author
item PARKER, NANCY - Us Army Engineer Research And Dvelopment Center
item WEBB, NICHOLAS - New Mexico State University
item CHAPPELL, ADRIAN - Cardiff University
item LEGRAND, SANDRA - Us Army Engineer Research And Dvelopment Center

Submitted to: American Meteorological Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2018
Publication Date: 1/6/2019
Citation: Parker, N., Webb, N., Chappell, A., Legrand, S. 2019. Area estimates of wind friction velocity derived from net radiometers and MODIS albedo [abstract]. 99th American Meteorological Society Meeting. January 6-10, 2019, Phoenix, Arizona.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil surface properties influence the resistance of soils to wind erosion through their effects on the aerodynamic roughness of the surface (z0), the threshold friction velocity for particle entrainment (u*t), and the supply of loose erodible material. The spectral reflectance of the soil surface, and its albedo, are influenced by the same soil properties. A relation between the surface albedo and its aerodynamic roughness has been established, enabling estimates of wind erosion to be obtained from available satellite data. Here we compare estimates of wind friction velocity derived from traditional methods (wind velocity profiles) with those derived from the albedo model, at two separate scales – bare soil patch (via net radiometers) and landscape (via MODIS 500m albedo datasets). Results suggest that estimates of u* from wind velocity profiles are highly variable and therefore uncertain as they changes in response to wind speed, direction, turbulence scales, and heterogeneity of the surface roughness. Albedo-derived estimates of surface wind friction velocity at both scales have smaller uncertainty as they are integrative over the measurement area, in addition to resolving the partition of wind momentum between roughness elements and the soil surface. With albedo-derived area estimates of wind friction velocity at the soil surface, the accuracy of aeolian sediment transport estimates across scales is improved.