1. Albedo of tropical grass: A case study of pre- and post-burning
- Author
-
I. R. Wright, H. G. Bastable, and G. Fisch
- Subjects
Atmospheric Science ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Deforestation ,Climatology ,Amazonian ,Dry season ,Energy balance ,Environmental science ,Climate model ,Shortwave radiation ,Albedo ,Grassland - Abstract
Measurements of reflected shortwave radiation were made at an Amazonian ranchland site for a period in which the grass was completely burnt and then subsequently regrew. For the 35 days prior to the fire the mean albedo was 0.19. After the fire the albedo was reduced by a factor two and thereafter took about 80 days to recover to its previous value. The influence on the energy balance is described and it is suggested that such seasonal albedo changes during the dry season may need to be described in climate models for the prediction of the seasonal impact of deforestation.
- Published
- 1994
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