Evaluation of Downward Shortwave Radiation Products over the Loess Plateau

• Published in: IEEE journal of selected topics in applied earth observations and remote sensing Vol. 17; pp. 1 - 14
• Main Authors: Tian, Qianqian, Zhang, Shuhua, Duan, Weili, Ming, Guanghui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 01-01-2024; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Albedo; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric modeling; Atmospheric models; Climate change; Climate models; Daily; Downward shortwave radiation; Downward shortwave radiation (DSR); Ecohydrology; Energy budget; Energy management; Extreme weather; Land surface temperature; Loess Plateau; Monthly; Plateaus; Radiation; Radiation effects; Reanalysis; Remote sensing; Root mean square; Satellites; Short wave radiation; Snow; Snow cover; Soil erosion; Spectroradiometers; Surface energy; Surface properties; Surface treatment; Weather; Weather forecasting; Loess Plateau
• ISSN: 1939-1404; 2151-1535
• DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2023.3346032

Downward Shortwave Radiation (DSR) is a key component of the surface energy budget, influencing atmospheric circulation and climate change. DSR products derived from remote sensing observations or generated from reanalysis systems are commonly used as inputs for eco-hydrological and climate models. The Loess Plateau is severely affected by soil erosion and has been experienced frequent extreme weather events in recent years. Therefore, an accurate DSR product is curial for accurately simulating climate change and surface-atmosphere processes on the Loess Plateau. In this study, newly released satellite DSR products Clouds, Albedo and Radiation Edition 3 data (CLARA-A3) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer land surface Downward Shortwave Radiation Version 6.1 data (MCD18A1 V6.1), along with the reanalysis product Land component of the Fifth generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis (ERA5-Land), were evaluated over the Loess Plateau and its surrounding areas. Intraday, daily, monthly and seasonal DSR were evaluated against ground measurements which were collected from five observation networks. CLARA-A3 outperformed MCD18A1 and ERA5-Land at both monthly and daily scales. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) for monthly (daily) DSR from CLARA-A3, ERA5-Land, and MCD18A1 were 19.31 (31.3) W/m2, 25.36 (39.74) W/m2, and 25.03 (46.14) W/m2, respectively. The study explored potential factors contributing to significant errors in DSR products. Results indicated that snow cover was one possible factor influencing the error in MCD18A1, and CLARA-A3 exhibited greater sensitivity to terrain influence compared to ERA5-Land and MCD18A1. The findings can be the reference for selecting DSR product over the Loess Plateau.