MODIS-Derived Arctic Land-Surface Temperature Trends

Abstract: Across the Arctic changes in active layer, melting of glaciers and ground ice, thawing of permafrost and sequestration changes of carbon storage are driven in part by variations of land surface heat absorption, conduction and re-radiation relative to solar irradiance. We investigate Arctic land-surface temperature changes and regional variations derived by the MODIS sensors on NASA Aqua and Terra from March 2000 through July 2012. Over this decadal period we detect increase in the number of days with daytime land-surface temperature above 0℃. There are indications of increasing trends of land-surface temperature change. Regional variations of the changes in land-surface temperature likely arise due to surface material types and topography relative to the daytime variation of solar irradiance.