Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate
Abstract All else being equal, a given atmospheric pressure level is thought to be warmer over a plateau than over surrounding nonelevated terrain because of orographic “elevated heating.” However, elevated surfaces are also typically brighter due to reduced vegetation and increased ice cover. Here...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072441 |
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| author | Shineng Hu William R. Boos |
| author_facet | Shineng Hu William R. Boos |
| author_sort | Shineng Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract All else being equal, a given atmospheric pressure level is thought to be warmer over a plateau than over surrounding nonelevated terrain because of orographic “elevated heating.” However, elevated surfaces are also typically brighter due to reduced vegetation and increased ice cover. Here we assess the degree to which surface albedo compensates for orographic elevated heating. We confirm that land surface albedo generally increases with surface elevation in observations. Using a cloud system‐resolving model, we show that increased surface albedo strongly compensates for orographic elevated heating in radiative‐convective equilibrium. A nonelevated surface with the albedo of modern India would enter a runaway greenhouse regime without ventilation by monsoonal winds, while a surface with the albedo and elevation of Tibet would achieve a cooler radiative‐convective equilibrium. Surface albedo changes may thus be just as important as surface elevation changes for the evolution of low‐latitude regional climate throughout Earth's history. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfd22f76367e426f9e07fa3362154bda |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfd22f76367e426f9e07fa3362154bda2025-08-20T03:10:28ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072017-07-0144136966697310.1002/2016GL072441Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climateShineng Hu0William R. Boos1Department of Geology and Geophysics Yale University New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics Yale University New Haven Connecticut USAAbstract All else being equal, a given atmospheric pressure level is thought to be warmer over a plateau than over surrounding nonelevated terrain because of orographic “elevated heating.” However, elevated surfaces are also typically brighter due to reduced vegetation and increased ice cover. Here we assess the degree to which surface albedo compensates for orographic elevated heating. We confirm that land surface albedo generally increases with surface elevation in observations. Using a cloud system‐resolving model, we show that increased surface albedo strongly compensates for orographic elevated heating in radiative‐convective equilibrium. A nonelevated surface with the albedo of modern India would enter a runaway greenhouse regime without ventilation by monsoonal winds, while a surface with the albedo and elevation of Tibet would achieve a cooler radiative‐convective equilibrium. Surface albedo changes may thus be just as important as surface elevation changes for the evolution of low‐latitude regional climate throughout Earth's history.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072441elevated heatingalbedoradiative‐convective equilibriummonsoonsTibet |
| spellingShingle | Shineng Hu William R. Boos Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate Geophysical Research Letters elevated heating albedo radiative‐convective equilibrium monsoons Tibet |
| title | Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| title_full | Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| title_fullStr | Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| title_short | Competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| title_sort | competing effects of surface albedo and orographic elevated heating on regional climate |
| topic | elevated heating albedo radiative‐convective equilibrium monsoons Tibet |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072441 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shinenghu competingeffectsofsurfacealbedoandorographicelevatedheatingonregionalclimate AT williamrboos competingeffectsofsurfacealbedoandorographicelevatedheatingonregionalclimate |