Abstract
Background: This study investigates the connection between annual global solar radiation and ground albedo solar radiation due to desertification in line with previous research on the correlation between climatic changes and desertification. Methods: A simulation study was performed using an algorithm formulated by the authors and the typical albedo coefficient values of forested ground, green grass and desert sand. Results: It is shown that changing the albedo coefficients from values corresponding to forested ground or green grass to values corresponding to the desert sand causes a significant increase in the annual global solar radiation acquired at different latitudes, leading one to hypothesize a mechanism of reduction of convective overturning and precipitation decreases due to desertification. Conclusion: In this scenario, modifications of local and global climate can be connected to changes of ground solar albedo induced by desertification.
Highlights
It has been shown that changes in radiative forcing due to several manmade sources such as anthropogenic emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and methane, manmade sulphur emissions, overgrazing and deforestation can influence Earth’s climate [1,2,3,4,5].Desertification is defined as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas induced by various factors such as climatic variations and several manmade agents
It was shown that as ground albedo is increased, surface latent and sensible heat flux decreases at the surface because of the reduction of solar radiation energy absorbed at the surface, resulting in a reduction in convection and precipitation [23,24]
In order to evaluate whether ground albedo variations can produce a significant variation of heat flux in neighboring air layers, a simulation model was applied to different ground albedo coefficients using the algorithm of [14]
Summary
It has been shown that changes in radiative forcing due to several manmade sources such as anthropogenic emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and methane, manmade sulphur emissions, overgrazing and deforestation can influence Earth’s climate [1,2,3,4,5].Desertification is defined as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas induced by various factors such as climatic variations and several manmade agents. The international community recognized that desertification was a global environmental problem and a Convention to combat desertification was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and it was ratified in 1996 by more than 50 countries (the United Nations Convention). This study investigates the connection between annual global solar radiation and ground albedo solar radiation due to desertification in line with previous research on the correlation between climatic changes and desertification. Results: It is shown that changing the albedo coefficients from values corresponding to forested ground or green grass to values corresponding to the desert sand causes a significant increase in the annual global solar radiation acquired at different latitudes, leading one to hypothesize a mechanism of reduction of convective overturning and precipitation decreases due to desertification. Conclusion: In this scenario, modifications of local and global climate can be connected to changes of ground solar albedo induced by desertification.
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