Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Quantifying Albedo and Surface Temperature over Different Land Covers: Implications for Carbon Offsets

Thumbnail
View / Download
1.6 Mb
Date
2008-04-24
Author
Igusky, Kristin
Advisor
Jackson, Robert B
Repository Usage Stats
401
views
7,090
downloads
Abstract
Many organizations, both internationally and within the United States, have invested in forest sequestration projects to offset their carbon emissions. However, changes in albedo and surface temperature due to reforestation and afforestation projects may have unintended regional and global climate consequences. The objective of this study was to quantify the change of surface albedo and temperature across different land covers over the eastern United States using Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite images. A second objective was to evaluate the results in the context of potential net climate effects of reforestation and afforestation and their implications on carbon offsets. Most land covers were found to differ in their shortwave albedo and surface temperature. Specifically, open land (cropland and grassland) had a higher shortwave albedo and surface temperature compared to forests. Albedo and temperature also differed seasonally and with latitude for the same land cover type, suggesting that other factors influence local energy balance and climate. The shortwave albedo results are consistent with previous studies, but this study is one of only a few that examined both albedo and surface temperature for many different land cover types. Additional research is needed to quantify all of the physical and environmental factors affecting local and regional climate over different land covers, how these factors relate to each other, and how they will change through time due with carbon offset projects. In this way the true value of carbon mitigation tools can be predicted.
Type
Master's project
Department
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Subject
Albedo
Surface Temperature
Afforestation and Reforestation
Carbon Offsets
Land Cover Change
Net Climate Effect
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/497
Citation
Igusky, Kristin (2008). Quantifying Albedo and Surface Temperature over Different Land Covers: Implications for Carbon Offsets. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/497.
Collections
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
More Info
Show full item record
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University