Assessment of Land Surface Models at the heterogeneous terrain and climate regimes is essential for understanding complex hydrological and biophysical parameterization. The models assist in responding to climate change in the global eco-climate system because they quantify and analyze the surface energy fluxes and its variations. Ram Ray, Research Scientist, and his colleagues examined the interaction between land surface and atmosphere using energy fluxes at two heterogeneous locations; the flat terrain of Freeman Ranch, Texas and mountainous terrain of Sierra Nevada, California. Results showed that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite performance estimating land surface variables was better in Texas than in California. However, the analysis showed that the satellite performance was lower in California due to the rugged topography and presence of snow cover. The results from this study are conducive to improvements in models and satellite-based characterization of water and energy fluxes, especially at rugged terrain with high elevation, where observational experiments are difficult to conduct.

More details about this work can be found in the recently published article “Estimating land surface variables and sensitivity analysis for CLM and VIC simulations using remote sensing products” in the Journal of Science of the Total Environment at this link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718308970

Dr. Ali Fares
Ali Fares, Ph.D.
Interim Dean and Director of Land-Grant Programs
(936) 261-5019
alfares@pvamu.edu