Interdecadal Variability in Surface Solar Radiation over Northwest China and Its Possible Cause

The present study investigates the interdecadal variability of seasonal mean surface solar radiation over Northwest China using station observations from 1961-2003. Spring and summer surface solar radiation over Northwest China was lower in the late 1970s through 1990s than in the 1960s through the mid-1970s, and fall and winter surface solar radiation displayed similar patterns. These results indicate that the decrease in spring and summer surface solar radiation may be associated with increased low-cloud cover over Northwest China. Rainfall anomalies were closely related to the low-cloud cover over Northwest China and with the Northern Hemisphere circumglobal teleconnection in spring, summer, and winter.

Value-Added Products Derived from 15 Years of High-Quality Surface Solar Radiation Measurements at Xianghe,a Suburban Site in the North China Plain

Surface solar radiation(SSR) is a key component of the energy budget of the Earth’s surface, and it varies at different spatial and temporal scales. Considerable knowledge of how and why SSR varies is crucial to a better understanding of climate change, which surely requires long-term measurements of high quality. The objective of this study is to introduce a value-added SSR dataset from Oct 2004 to Oct 2019 based on measurements taken at Xianghe, a suburban site in the North China Plain;two value-added products based on the 1-minute SSR measurements are developed. The first is clear sky detection by using a machine learning model. The second is cloud fraction estimation derived from an effective semiempirical method. A “brightening” of global horizontal irradiance(GHI) was revealed and found to occur under both clear and cloudy conditions. This could likely be attributed to a reduction in aerosol loading and cloud fraction. This dataset could not only improve our knowledge of the variability and trend of SSR in the North China Plain, but also be beneficial for solar energy assessment and forecasting.

Advances in Estimation Methods of Surface Solar Radiation

Based on the main research results of estimation methods of surface solar radiation at home and abroad in recent decades, three commonly used estimation models of surface solar radiation have been introduced, and their principles, advantages and disadvantages have been analyzed to provide scientific references for further study of surface solar radiation in future.

Study of Distinctive Regional Features of Surface Solar Radiation in North and East China

Solar radiation is an important energy source for plants on the earth and also a major component of the global energy balance. Variations in solar radiation incident at the earth’s surface profoundly affect the human and terrestrial environment, including the climate change. To provide useful information for predicting the future climate change in China, distinctive regional features in spatial and temporal variations of the surface solar radiation （SSR） and corresponding attributions （such as cloud and aerosol） are analyzed based on SSR observations and other meteorological measurements in North and East China from 1961 to 2007. Multiple models, such as the plane-parallel radiative transfer model, empirical and statistical models, and correlation and regression analysis methods are used in the study. The results are given as follows. （1） During 1961–2007, the total SSR in North China went through a process from quickly ＂dimming＂ to slowly ＂dimming＂, while in East China, a significant transition from ＂dimming＂ to ＂brightening＂ occurred. Although there are some differences between the two regional variation trends, long-term variations in SSR in the two regions are basically consistent with the observation worldwide. （2） Between the 1960s and 1980s, in both North and East China, aerosols played a critical role in the radiation dimming. However, after 1989, different variation trends of SSR occurred in North and East China, indicating that aerosols were not the dominant factor. （3） Cloud cover contributed less to the variation of SSR in North China, but was the major attribution in East China and played a promoting role in the reversal of SSR from dimming to brightening, especially in the ＂remarkable brightening＂ period, with its contribution as high as 70%.

Development of a 50-year daily surface solar radiation dataset over China

Although solar radiation is a crucial parameter in designing solar power devices and studying land surface processes,long-term and densely distributed observations of surface solar radiation are usually not available.This paper describes the development of a 50-year dataset of daily surface solar radiation at 716 China Meteorological Administration(CMA) stations.First,a physical model,without any local calibration,is applied to estimate the daily radiation at all 716 CMA routine stations.Then,an ANN-based(Artificial Neural Network) model is applied to extend radiation estimates to earlier periods at each of all 96 CMA radiation stations.The ANN-based model is trained with recent reliable radiation data and thus its estimate is more reliable than the physical model.Therefore,the ANN-based model is used to correct the physical model dynamically at a monthly scale.The correction generally improves the accuracy of the radiation dataset estimated by the physical model:the mean bias error(MBE) averaged over all the 96 radiation stations during 1994-2002 is reduced from 0.68 to 0.11 MJ m-2 and the root mean square error(RMSE) from 2.01 to 1.80 MJ m-2.The new radiation dataset shows superior performance over previous estimates by locally calibrated ngstr m-Prescott models.Based on the new radiation dataset,the annual mean daily solar radiation over China is 14.3 MJ m-2.The maximal seasonal mean daily solar radiation occurs in the Tibetan Plateau during summer with a value of 27.1 MJ m-2,whereas the minimal seasonal mean daily solar radiation occurs in the Sichuan Basin during winter with a value of 4.7 MJ m-2.

Effect of ground cover changes on solar radiation absorption in Three Northeastern Provinces of China

Background,aim,and scope Solar radiation is the main source of energy for terrestrial ecosystems.Small changes in the absorption of solar radiation at the ground surface can have a significant impact on the climatic environment.Natural and anthropogenic changes in ground cover are important factors affecting the absorption of solar radiation at the ground surface.This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the mid and high latitudes.In order to quantify the inf luence of surface cover change on the absorption of solar radiation at the surface and to provide a scientific basis for changes in the climatic environment,this paper analyzed ground cover change,ground absorbed solar radiation change and the effect of ground cover change on ground absorbed solar radiation in the Three Northeastern Provinces of China from 2001 to 2018.Materials and methods In this study,the Three Northeastern Provinces of China were used as the study area.Firstly,satellite remote sensing data were used to obtain land cover data and albedo data for Aug.1st of each year in 2001,2005,2010,2015 and 2018.The albedo data were further used to calculate the absorbed solar radiation data at the ground surface.Next,the land cover data were used to count the area changes and shifts of different land classes over the five-year period.The land cover data were overlaid with the surface absorbed solar radiation data to obtain the mean and standard deviation of radiation absorption for different ground classes.The surface absorbed solar radiation data were subtracted to obtain the changes in surface absorbed solar radiation for 2001-2005,2005-2010,2010-2015 and 2015-2018.Ultimately,we used a combination of shifted changes in ground classes and changes in surface absorbed solar radiation data,with unchanged ground classes as a baseline and data such as slope orientation as an aid.We analyzed the effect of ground cover change on surface absorbed solar radiation at regional and pixel point scales.Results(1)The area of woodland and waters in the Three Northeastern Provinces of China increased and then decreased from 2001 to 2018,with an overall increase of 3.96%and 10.51%respectively.Cropland decreased and then increased,with a total decrease of 1.22%.Grassland continued to decrease,with an overall decrease of 19.36%.Building sites increased all the time,with a total increase of 11.08%.The main types of ground cover shifted were woodland,cropland and grassland.The main factors for the change in ground cover were China’s woodland protection policy and the saturation of the total woodland stock.(2)The five ground types absorb solar radiation in the order of waters>building sites>woodland>grassland>cropland.The surface absorption of solar radiation in the Songnen Plain,the Sanjiang Plain and the Songhua River Basin flowing through the Songnen Plain and the Sanjiang Plain varies significantly,by more than 25 W·m^(-2).(3)Changes in the ground cover type affected the absorption of solar radiation energy by the ground surface.There was a clear trend of interconversion between waters and cropland/grassland,cropland and woodland/grassland.In particular,the conversion of waters to both cropland and grassland radiation absorption values decreased significantly,while the opposite increased.The absolute difference between waters and cropland was a maximum of -156.66 W·m^(-2)in 2010-2015,and between waters and grassland was a maximum of 102.36 W·m^(-2) in 2005-2010.The radiative absorption values of woodland and grassland reclamation declined and conversely increased.The absolute difference between woodland and cropland was a maximum of-13.94 W·m^(-2) in 2010-2015 when woodland converted to cropland,and between grassland and cropland was a maximum of 22.36 W·m^(-2) in 2001-2005 when cropland converted to grassland,respectively.Discussion Ground cover changes in the Three Northeastern Provinces of China from 2001-2018 were inextricably linked to natural factors and the inf luence of Chinese national policies.The main inf luencing factors were China’s woodland protection policy,restoration of woodland fire sites,saturation of total woodland,optimization of cropland patterns,sanding of grassland,expansion of water conservancy projects,and urbanization expansion.There were differences in the radiation absorption characteristics of different ground cover types.This was due to the nature of the ground type itself and the regional environment.When ground cover types changed,their ability to absorb solar radiation also changed.The degree of change could be inf luenced by different ground types and different environmental factors.Different spatial scales can also produce variability.We need to consider the effects of ground cover change on the absorption of solar radiation at the surface in an integrated and comprehensive way.Conclusions The Three Northeastern Provinces of China had frequent changes in ground cover from 2001-2018,with the area of grassland decreased by almost 20%.These changes were due to natural environmental change and policies issued by China since the 21st century.The extent to which solar radiation was absorbed by different ground cover types was different,with grassland being the strongest and cropland the least.In the past few years,the Songnen Plain and Sanjiang Plain regions were the most significant changes in the absorption of solar radiation by the ground cover.The change in ground cover type led to a change in solar radiation absorption at the ground surface,with the conversion of waters to cropland or grassland and the conversion of cropland to woodland or grassland showing the greatest change in radiation absorption values,and vice versa.Of these,the absolute difference in the conversion of waters to cropland amounts to-156.66 W·m^(-2) in 2010-2015.The variation in the absorption of solar radiation at the ground surface was related to the characteristics of the ground class itself,but was also limited by the regional environment.Recommendations and perspectives This study showed that surface cover change can affect the absorption of solar radiation at the surface to varying degrees.The unchanged land classes were used as a comparative analysis in this paper,and it was clear from the paper that some of the unchanged land classes showed significant changes in radiation absorption that should be of interest in future studies.

Modeling All-sky Global Solar Radiation Using MODIS Atmospheric Products:A Case Study in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The surface solar radiation(SSR) is of great importance to bio-chemical cycle and life activities.However,it is impossible to observe SSR directly over large areas especially for rugged surfaces such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.This paper presented an improved parameterized model for predicting all-sky global solar radiation on rugged surfaces using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) atmospheric products and Digital Elevation Model(DEM).The global solar radiation was validated using 11 observations within the plateau.The correlation coefficients of daily data vary between 0.67-0.86,while those of the averages of 10-day data are between 0.79-0.97.The model indicates that the attenuation of SSR is mainly caused by cloud under cloudy sky,and terrain is an important factor influencing SSR over rugged surfaces under clear sky.A positive relationship can also be inferred between the SSR and slope.Compared with horizontal surfaces,the south-facing slope receives more radiation,followed by the west-and east-facing slopes with less SSR,and the SSR of the north-facing slope is the least.

Advances in Monitorinq Methods of Downward Surface Net Radiation

Downward surface net radiation,the net energy of the earth's surface obtained through shortwave and longwave radiation process,is the main driving force for material and energy cycle in the whole earth system.In this study,the main research results of monitoring methods of downward surface net radiation at home and abroad in recent decades have been summarized,and main remote sensing radiation products produced according to various sensors have been introduced.Moreover,the monitoring methods of downward shortwave and long-wave radiation have been discussed,and their principles,advantages and disadvantages have been analyzed to provide scientific references for further study of downward surface solar net radiation in future.

Influence of Changes in Solar Radiation on Changes of Surface Temperature in China

The long-term trends of total surface solar radiation （SSR）, surface diffuse radiation, and surface air temperature were analyzed in this study based on updated 48-yr data from 55 observational stations in China, and then the correlation between SSR and the diurnal temperature range （DTR） was studied. The effect of total solar radiation on surface air temperature in China was investigated on the basis of the above analyses. A strong correlation between SSR and DTR was found for the period 1961-2008 in China. The highest correlation and steepest regression line slope occurred in winter, indicating that the solar radiation effect on DTR was the largest in this season. Clouds and water vapor have strong influences on both SSR and DTR, and hence on their relationship. The largest correlations between SSR and DTR occurred in wintertime in northern China, regardless of all-day （including clear days and cloudy days） or clear-day cases. Our results also showed that radiation arriving at the surface in China decreased significantly during 1961-1989 （dimming period）, but began to increase during 1990 2008 （brightening period）, in agreement with previous global studies. The reduction of total SSR offset partially the greenhouse warming during 1961-1989. However, with the increase of SSR after 1990, this offsetting effect vanished; on the contrary, it even made a contribution to the accelerated warming. Nonetheless, the greenhouse warming still played a controlling role because of the increasing of minimum and mean surface temperatures in the whole study period of 1961-2008. We estimated that the greenhouse gases alone may have caused surface temperatures to rise by 0.31-0.46℃ （10 yr）^-1 during 1961-2008, which is higher than previously estimated. Analysis of the corresponding changes in total solar radiation, diffuse radiation, and total cloud cover indicated that the dimming and brightening phenomena in China were likely attributable to increases in absorptive and scattering aerosols in the atmosphere, respectively.

Regional long-term trend of ground solar radiation in China over the past 50 years

Based on global solar radiation and related meteorological data from 57 stations in China between 1961 and 2009, we analyze the variation of surface global solar radiation (G) and its relationship to meteorological elements using linear-trend estimation, wavelet analysis, and the Mann-Kendall test. The results show that of the 33 stations with time series longer than 45 years, G is significant at the 95% confidence level. G has a decreasing trend at many stations, but results vary across different areas. The decadal departure percentage of G increased from the 1960s to 1970s, declined gradually after the 1970s, and decreased significantly in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the trend at a few sites slightly increased. The trend of cumulative variance is of four types, i.e. rise-fall, rise-fall-slight rise, rise-fall-rise, and not obvious. For changes within a year, the most obvious decline was in winter, and the rest of the year had a slight decrease. The major cycles of annual G were 6-9, 10-13, and 29-33 a. The inflection points were mostly in the 1970s. The reasons for greater changes were complex. Relevant meteorological elements were selected and analyzed by statistical methods. Trends in climatic parameters, such as annual average percentage of sunshine, annual average wind speed, and annual average of low cloud cover, were closely related to G. Thus, this indicated the potential causes of the observed trends in G. The long-term trend for annual G in some regions was also influenced by anthro- pogenic activities. Annual average percentage of sunshine and annual average wind speed were positively correlated with annual G, respectively.

China land soil moisture EnKF data assimilation based on satellite remote sensing data

Soil moisture plays an important role in land-atmosphere interactions. It is an important geophysical parameter in research on climate, hydrology, agriculture, and forestry. Soil moisture has important climatic effects by influencing ground evapotranspi ration, runoff, surface reflectivity, surface emissivity, surface sensible heat and latent heat flux. At the global scale, the extent of its influence on the atmosphere is second only to that of sea surface temperature. At the terrestrial scale, its influence is even greater than that of sea surface temperatures. This paper presents a China Land Soil Moisture Data Assimilation System (CLSMDAS) based on EnKF and land process models, and results of the application of this system in the China Land Soil Moisture Data Assimilation tests. CLSMDAS is comprised of the following components: 1) A land process mo del—Community Land Model Version 3.0 (CLM3.0)—developed by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); 2) Precipitation of atmospheric forcing data and surface-incident solar radiation data come from hourly outputs of the FY2 geostationary meteorological satellite; 3) EnKF (Ensemble Kalman Filter) land data assimilation method; and 4) Observa tion data including satellite-inverted soil moisture outputs of the AMSR-E satellite and soil moisture observation data. Results of soil moisture assimilation tests from June to September 2006 were analyzed with CLSMDAS. Both simulation and assimila tion results of the land model reflected reasonably the temporal-spatial distribution of soil moisture. The assimilated soil mois ture distribution matches very well with severe summer droughts in Chongqing and Sichuan Province in August 2006, the worst since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It also matches drought regions that occurred in eastern Hubei and southern Guangxi in September.