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Title: Evolution of the Variability of Surface Temperature and Vegetation Density in the Great Plains

Author
item Cosh, Michael
item STEDINGER, J - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item OU, S - UCLA
item LIOU, K - UCLA
item BRUTSAERT, W - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Advances in Water Resources
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2006
Publication Date: 5/1/2007
Citation: Cosh, M.H., Stedinger, J., Ou, S.C., Liou, K.-N., Brutsaert, W. 2007. Evolution of the variability of surface temperature and vegetation density in the Great Plains. Advances in Water Resources. 30(5):1094-1104.

Interpretive Summary: Statistical analysis is used to analyze how land surface temperature and vegetation (as represented by a satellite index) vary for short periods of time, in multiple seasons. It is shown that vegetation changes little for short time periods, but there are significant changes between the seasons. Land surface temperature on the other hand shows significant changes from one day to the next. No strong relationship was apparent between either of these variables and the parameters of land cover, latitude, or time since precipitation.

Technical Abstract: This study focuses on how the variability of land surface temperature and vegetation density at the SGP ARM-CART site changes over episodic (day to day) and seasonal time scales using AVHRR satellite data. Four drying periods throughout the year are analyzed. Land surface temperature had an erratic relationship with time exhibiting no deterministic pattern from day-to-day or season-to-season. Furthermore, it did not exhibit spatial pattern persistence. On the other hand, vegetation density had a consistent spatial pattern and temporal decay during average length drying periods (less than 7 days) as well as within a season. However, there were distinct differences in the seasonal pattern of variation between winter and growing seasons. In addition, the paper highlights a methodology to quantify the relationships that exist at the land surface between the primary parameter of interest and the controlling variables.