Putting the Capital ‘A’ in CoCoRaHS: An Experimental Program to Measure

Albedo Using the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network

Elizabeth BurakowskiJack DibbMary StamponeCameron Wake

Photo: Michelle DayPhoto: Midge Eliassen Photo: Midge Eliassen

Putting the Capital ‘A’ in CoCoRAHS: An Experimental Program to Measure

Albedo Using the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network

Elizabeth BurakowskiJack DibbMary StamponeCameron Wake

Photo: Michelle DayPhoto: Midge Eliassen Photo: Midge Eliassen

Albedo^

Outline

• Motivation• Research Objectives• The CoCoRAHS Albedo Network• Results• Future Work• Acknowledgements

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Motivation

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Me

Twin sister

Life-long obsession with albedo that began in 1986

Motivation

• State-wide effort to measure the impact of land use, population growth, and climate on New Hampshire’s ecosystems

• Link between land cover and climate: – Climate impacts of historical deforestation

Foster et al., 2010. Wildlands and Woodlands5

Motivation

• State-wide effort to measure the impact of land use, population growth, and climate on New Hampshire’s ecosystems

• Link between land cover and climate: – Climate impacts of historical deforestation – Greater sensitivity in shortwave energy balance

through changes in winter albedo (Robinson & Kukla, 1985)

6Betts and Ball 1997

Motivation• State-wide effort to measure the impact of land

use, population growth, and climate on New Hampshire’s ecosystems

• Link between land cover and climate:– Deforestation greater sensitivity in shortwave

energy balance through changes in winter albedo (Robinson & Kukla, 1985)

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Motivation• State-wide effort to measure the impact of land

use, population growth, and climate on New Hampshire’s ecosystems

• Link between land cover and climate:– Deforestation greater sensitivity in shortwave

energy balance through changes in winter albedo (Robinson & Kukla, 1985)

• Embrace CoCoRaHS mission to:1. Use low-cost measurement tools

2. Provide training and education

3. Collect, record, and communicate albedo data for educational and research applications

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Research Objectives

• Establish a volunteer network of citizen scientists to collect daily measurements of:

1. surface albedo

2. snow depth

3. snow density• Measure surface albedo for a variety of land

cover types

• 18 CoCoRAHS observers

• 15 observers able to report regularly (4-7 times/week)• 12 grass lawn• 1 bare soil• 1 rooftop deck• 1 pasture

• Mostly retired individuals

• Actively seeking school groups for 2012/2013

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CoCoRaHS Albedo Network

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Thompson Farm Research StationDurham, NH

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Thompson Farm Research StationDurham, NH

• Daily CoCoRAHS Measurements

• Comparison of Kipp and Zonen CMA6 30-min average albedo

vs

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CoCoRaHS Albedo Network

CoCoRAHS Albedo Kit

• Apogee MP-200 Pyranometer with custom leveling boom

• 2-ft and 4-ft aluminum snow tubes

• Hanging digital scale• Spatula• Yardstick• Field Notebook

FieldSpec4 Spectroradiometer

• Measure snow-covered and snow-free spectral albedo at CoCoRAHS and UNH Thompson Farm sites

• Opportunity to test out instrument before purchasing

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CoCoRaHS Albedo Network

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Results: Albedo

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Results: Albedo & Snow Depth

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Results: Albedo & Snow Density

R=0.41

Results: Spectral Albedo

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Conclusions• Apogee MP-200 low-cost albedometer comparable to

Kipp and Zonen CMA6

• Albedo increases logarithmically with snow depth

• Albedo decreases linearly with snow density, likely due to increases in grain size

• CoCoRAHS Albedo shows great promise to provide useful albedo and snow data for research and education applications

Photo: Midge Eliassen Photo: Midge Eliassen

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Future Work• Evaluate climate impacts of snow cover on forested

and non-forested landscapes

• Compare snow density collected with snow pillow, snow tube and scale, snow tube and melt methods (UNH Undergrad Ethan Chase)

• Climate and Land Surface Modeling- Weather, Research, and Forecasting (WRF) Model- Community Land Model (CLM4.0)

• Snow grain size data collection

• Equip observers with IR temperature guns for skin surface temperature measurements

• Snow dance for 2012/2013 field season!

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Acknowledgements

• National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF-EPSCoR #1101-245)

• NASA New Hampshire Space Grant Fellowship• ASD, Inc. Goetz Instrument Support Program• CoCoRAHS Volunteers • David Harrigan, Jake Logemann, Mike Routhier• Advising Committee

- Dr. Cameron Wake (UNH)- Dr. Jack Dibb (UNH)- Dr. Mary Stampone (NH State Climatologist)- Dr. Scott Ollinger (UNH)- Dr. Ming Chen (NCAR, Boulder)

• Family and Friends

Website: www.cocorahs-albedo.org

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Canopy & Pasture Temperature

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Thompson Farm: Canopy and Pasture

• Canopy albedo does not change very much compared to pasture albedo.

• Snow cover persists longer under canopy than in the pasture (when it’s not +80oF)

• Snow density generally increases over time.