The surface temperatures of Earth: steps towards integrated understanding of variability and change

Abstract

Abstract. Surface temperature is a key aspect of weather and climate, but the term may refer to different quantities that play interconnected roles and are observed by different means. In a community-based activity in June 2012, the EarthTemp Network brought together 55 researchers from five continents to improve the interaction between scientific communities who focus on surface temperature in particular domains, to exploit the strengths of different observing systems and to better meet the needs of different communities. The workshop identified key needs for progress towards meeting scientific and societal requirements for surface temperature understanding and information, which are presented in this community paper. A "whole-Earth" perspective is required with more integrated, collaborative approaches to observing and understanding Earth's various surface temperatures. It is necessary to build understanding of the relationships between different surface temperatures, where presently inadequate, and undertake large-scale systematic intercomparisons. Datasets need to be easier to obtain and exploit for a wide constituency of users, with the differences and complementarities communicated in readily understood terms, and realistic and consistent uncertainty information provided. Steps were also recommended to curate and make available data that are presently inaccessible, develop new observing systems and build capacities to accelerate progress in the accuracy and usability of surface temperature datasets.

Validation of Land Surface Temperature products derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) using ground-based and heritage satellite measurements

“…Multiple validation methods and activities are necessary to assess LST compliance with the specifications. A detailed presentation of previous satellite-based LST validation efforts is available in review studies by Li et al (2013), Merchant et al (2013) and Schneider, Ghent, Corlett, Prata, and Remedios (2012). Four different methods have been widely used to validate and determine the uncertainties in LST products derived from satellite measurements:…”

“…The method is best for large-scale validation efforts on a global scale or for products with coarse spatial resolution. -Time series comparisons (Hook et al, 2007;Merchant et al, 2013).…”

An Examination of Temperature Trends at High Elevations Across the Tibetan Plateau: The Use of MODIS LST to Understand Patterns of Elevation‐Dependent Warming

“…LST is a spatial average over the pixel (1 km 2 for MODIS) of the effective surface temperature. The pixel may be an amalgam of different surface types, all with contrasting emissivities and conductivities (Bosilovich, ; Merchant et al, ). Being a response to surface energy balance, LST is intrinsically more extreme than T air , usually being colder at night, and often much warmer in the day, especially when the surface receives a lot of direct insolation (Good, , ).…”

“…2006; Merchant et al, 2013). Being a response to surface energy balance, LST is intrinsically more extreme than T air , usually being colder at night, and often much warmer in the day, especially when the surface receives a lot of direct insolation (Good, 2015(Good, , 2016.…”

Recent global warming as confirmed by AIRS

“…While intensive studies are still needed to estimate the uncertainties of satellite observations in global scale, systematic observations with consistent temporal and spatial coverage from satellites still can be a crucial complement to the surface-based estimates to better assess surface temperature changes (Merchant et al 2013, Veal et al 2013, Merchant et al 2017. Number of algorithms are developed to retrieve surface temperatures from an Along Track Scanning Radiometer 2(ATSR-2) infra-red (IR) channels, but no single algorithm is valid to produce surface temperature over different surfaces (Sobrino et al 2004 and reference therein).…”