Impact of revised and potential future albedo estimates on CCSM3 simulations of growing-season surface temperature fields for North America

Abstract

Recently published albedo research has resulted in improved growing-season albedo estimates for forest and grassland vegetation. The impact of these improved estimates on the ability of climate models to simulate growing-season surface temperature patterns is unknown. We have developed a set of current-climate surface temperature scenarios for North America using the Community Climate System Model-Version 3 (CCSM3). Simulation results suggest that modifications to the default CCSM3 radiative parameters that are consistent with more recent accurate measurements of albedo values for grasslands and needle-leaf deciduous trees (NDTs) can reduce the overall growing-season surface temperature bias over North America in CCSM3 simulations. © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society.