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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 30, NO. 2, 1055, doi:10.1029/2002GL016098, 2003

Radiative forcing of climate by historical land cover change

H. Damon Matthews

School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


Andrew J. Weaver

School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


Michael Eby

School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


Katrin J. Meissner

School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


Abstract

The radiative effect of changing human land-use patterns on the climate of the past 300 years is discussed through analysis of a series of equilibrium and transient climate simulations using the UVic Earth System Climate Model. Land-surface changes are prescribed through varying land cover type, representing the replacement of natural vegetation by human agricultural systems from 1700 to 1992. All land cover simulations show a cooling in the range of 0.09 to 0.22°C with larger regional changes caused by local positive feedbacks.

Published 22 January 2003.

Index Terms: 3322 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Land/atmosphere interactions.

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Citation: Matthews, H. D., A. J. Weaver, M. Eby, and K. J. Meissner (2003), Radiative forcing of climate by historical land cover change, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(2), 1055, doi:10.1029/2002GL016098.