Evaluation of surface albedo products from ERA5, JRA-55, MERRA-2, and CERES-EBAF on the Tibetan Plateau: insights from in-situ observations and MODIS data
Land surface albedo is essential for comprehending energy budget and climate effects. However, significant discrepancies exist in various albedo datasets, primarily due to variations in the surface data and simulation models employed. This study assessed the applicability of five surface albedo prod...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Digital Earth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17538947.2025.2547288 |
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| Summary: | Land surface albedo is essential for comprehending energy budget and climate effects. However, significant discrepancies exist in various albedo datasets, primarily due to variations in the surface data and simulation models employed. This study assessed the applicability of five surface albedo products (MODIS, ERA5, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and CERES-EBAF) in the Tibetan Plateau using nine in-situ monitoring sites and explored the potential factors of vegetation and snow cover on these products. The results show that MODIS and CERES-EBAF exhibit higher correlation coefficients and lower biases with the in-situ observations, whereas ERA5 and JRA-55 tend to overestimate the albedo. MODIS provides a valuable reference for capturing observed annual and interannual surface albedo variations. Spatially, MERRA-2 and CERES-EBAF align more closely with MODIS than ERA5 and JRA-55. Nevertheless, ERA5 successfully replicates the overall spatial distribution, albeit with a tendency to overestimate values. Temporally, both CERES-EBAF and ERA5 mimic MODIS interannual variations, while MERRA-2 displays minimal variability. The overestimation of the surface albedo in ERA5 and MERRA-2 is primarily attributed to excessive snow cover during winter and spring, along with underestimation of the leaf area index during warmer months. These findings are expected to enhance albedo change understanding and refine surface albedo simulations. |
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| ISSN: | 1753-8947 1753-8955 |