Future Earth Research Articles

Predicting the future of coastal marine ecosystems in the rapidly changing Arctic: The potential of palaeoenvironmental records

Frozen components on land and in the ocean (sea ice, ice sheets, glaciers and permafrost) form the cryosphere, which, together with the ocean, moderates the physical and chemical habitat for life in the Arctic and beyond. Changes in these components, as a response to rapidly warming climate in the Arctic, are intensely expressed in the coastal zone. These areas receive increased terrestrial runoff while subject to a changing sea-ice and ocean environment. Proxies derived from marine sediment archives provide long-term data that extend beyond instrumental measurements. They are therefore fundamental in disentangling human-driven versus natural processes, changes and responses. This paper (1) provides an overview of current Arctic cryosphere change, (2) reviews state-of-the-art palaeoecological approaches, (3) identifies methodological and knowledge gaps, and (4) discusses the strengths and future potential of palaeoecology and palaeoceanography to respond to societally-relevant coastal marine ecosystem challenges. We utilise responses to an open survey conducted by the Future Earth Past Global Changes (PAGES) working group Arctic Cryosphere Change and Coastal Marine Ecosystems (ACME). Significant research advancements have taken place in recent decades, including the increasingly common use of multi-proxy (multiple lines of evidence) studies, improved understanding of species-environment relationships, and development of novel proxies. Significant gaps remain, however, in the understanding of proxy sources and behaviour, the use of quantitative techniques, and the availability of reference data from coastal environments. We highlight the need for critical methodological refinement, interdisciplinary collaboration on research approaches, and enhanced communication across the scientific community.

Distributed Massive MIMO for LEO Satellite Networks

The ultra-dense deployment of interconnected satellites will characterize future low Earth orbit (LEO) mega-constellations. Exploiting this towards a more efficient satellite network (SatNet), this paper proposes a novel LEO SatNet architecture based on distributed massive multiple-input multiple-output (DM-MIMO) technology allowing ground user terminals to be connected to a cluster of satellites. To this end, we investigate various aspects of DM-MIMO-based satellite network design, the benefits of using this architecture, the associated challenges, and the potential solutions. In addition, we propose a distributed joint power allocation and handover management (D-JPAHM) technique that jointly optimizes the power allocation and handover management processes in a cross-layer manner. This framework aims to maximize the network throughput and minimize the handover rate while considering the quality-of-service (QoS) demands of user terminals and the power capabilities of the satellites. Moreover, we devise an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution to efficiently implement the proposed D-JPAHM framework in a manner suitable for real-time operation and the dynamic SatNet environment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to introduce and study DM-MIMO technology in LEO SatNets. Extensive simulation results reveal the superiority of the proposed architecture and solutions compared to conventional approaches in the literature.

Uncertainty Analysis of Digital Elevation Models by Spatial Inference From Stable Terrain

The monitoring of Earth’s and planetary surface elevations at larger and finer scales is rapidly progressing through the increasing availability and resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs). Surface elevation observations are being used across an expanding range of fields to study topographical attributes and their changes over time, notably in glaciology, hydrology, volcanology, seismology, forestry and geomorphology. However, DEMs frequently contain large-scale instrument noise and varying vertical precision that lead to complex patterns of errors. Here, we present a validated statistical workflow to estimate, model, and propagate uncertainties in DEMs. We review the state-of-the-art of DEM accuracy and precision analyses, and define a conceptual framework to consistently address those. We show how to characterize DEM precision by quantifying the heteroscedasticity of elevation measurements, i.e. varying vertical precision with terrain- or sensor-dependent variables, and the spatial correlation of errors that can occur across multiple spatial scales. With the increasing availability of high-precision observations, our workflow based on independent elevation data acquired on stable terrain can be applied almost anywhere on Earth. We illustrate how to propagate uncertainties for both pixel-scale and spatial elevation derivatives, using terrain slope and glacier volume changes as examples. We find that uncertainties in DEMs are largely underestimated in the literature, and advocate that new metrics of DEM precision are essential to ensure the reliability of future Earth and planetary surface elevation assessments.

Fault Diagnosis and Prognosis for Satellite Formation Flying: A Survey

Fault diagnostics and prognosis are vital functions of engineering systems, mainly fault prognosis, which is a relatively novel area and requires further development. By applying these methods, the system can be enriched with the ability to detect and isolate faults before they result in failures; in addition, fault propagation can be predicted, and maintenance can be considered to reduce the risk of severe failure. This paper focuses on the problem of satellite formation fault diagnosis and prognosis in the literature. Multi-satellite networks that cooperate as multi-agent systems are primarily used to implement cutting-edge technologies and improve future Earth and space observing missions. Space systems constantly encounter numerous failures due to the hazards and challenges of the space environment that need to be tackled. The current starts with an overview of the main concepts and motivations behind the deployment of small satellites in constellation settings and the detection and prediction of their faults. Next, recent papers on fault diagnosis and prognosis of single and multiple agent(s) or satellite(s), working individually or in collaboration, are reviewed. Comprehensive comparisons and categorization of the reviewed literature are included throughout the paper leading to existing research gaps for future work.

A Preliminary Economic Evaluation of Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) in Indonesian Coal: Progress and Future Prospect

Coal deposits have fascinated much attention in recent years due to its by-product waste as promising alternative sources for rare earth metals. Rare earth metals concentration in many coals and coal ashes are known have equal to or higher than those found in conventional ore. Indonesia is one of the most extensive coal-bearing sedimentary basins in SE Asia with unique tectonic and geological control that might be significance as prospective country of rare metals recovery from coal. This study shows recent progress from several Indonesian coal-bearing sedimentary basins: Ombilin, South Sumatra and Pasir basin. Surprisingly, the REY concentration in Ombilin, South Sumatera and Pasir basin has higher than the average world-coal with 126.15 ppm, 203.72 and 285.53 ppm, respectively. Based on the relationship market demand and supply of individual REY in recent years proposed by Seredin and Dai (2012), all of coal samples were clustered into Promising (II) type with base of critical outlook is 0.7 and cut-off grade is 1000 ppm in coal ashes. It comprises the various REY distribution types and can be regarded as promising REY raw metrials for economic development. REY-enrichment processes in Indonesian coal are different due its tectonic and geological processes that control the basin formation, both of pre-, syn- and post-forming. Genetically, major REY-enrichment processes in Indonesian coal are controlled by tuffaceous; infiltrational; and terrigenous process. Tuffaceous process is related to volcanism that produce tonstein layer during coal peatification, this type is determined in South Sumatera and Pasir basin. Terrigenous process is controlled by provenance sediment-source during coal-bearing formation is formed; basaltic-igneous basement is major controlled REY-enrichment in Ombilin and Pasir basin. Injections of marine water during coal peatification also known that lead REY-enrichment, this type called infiltrational type and its presence in all three basins. Recent study about REY-rich in Indonesian coal shows significance prospect for future rare earth metals recovery. Further study is needed in unexplored coal-bearing sedimentary basin such as Tarakan, Asem-asem, Barito, Ketungau, Melawi, Salawati and Bintuni basin.

Diffuse light around cities: New perspectives in satellite remote sensing of nighttime aerosols

Satellite remote sensing of nighttime aerosols in the lower atmosphere poses additional challenges in comparison with daytime sensing, due to the specific features of the available light sources and the different scattering geometries. In this work we develop a detailed quantitative model for the top-of-atmosphere radiance of the halos of diffuse light observed around cities in satellite nighttime imagery. It is shown that these scattered light distributions contain relevant information about the aerosol properties, and that under some basic assumptions they can be used to estimate them. We formalize the basis of a method for retrieving the aerosol particle size number distribution function based on inverting the angular dependence of the radiance detected in near-nadir remote sensing observations. The results stress the convenience of endowing future night Earth observation missions with enhanced angular detection capabilities.

Composition of Organic Carbon-Based Compounds in the Stem Wood of Quercus mongolica Seedlings Grown Under Elevated CO2 and/or O3 Concentrations

In this study, we examined the composition of organic constituents of stem woody tissue together with tree growth in Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata Blume seedlings raised under controlled CO2 and/or O3 concentrations in a Free-Air Concentration Enrichment system. After exposure to ambient air (control), elevated CO2 concentration (550 μmol mol–1 CO2), elevated O3 concentration (double that of the control), and a combination of elevated CO2 and O3 concentrations during a growing season, we measured the diameter and length of stem, and biomass of sampled seedlings and quantified the lignin, extractive, and holocellulose contents of the woody tissue of current-year stems. We confirmed that the growth of seedlings was enhanced under an elevated CO2 concentration condition. In line with this, the extractive content was lower in woody tissue formed under an elevated CO2 concentration than that formed under ambient air, whereas holocellulose content showed an inverse pattern. Elevated O3 concentration itself did not change the organic constituents of the woody tissue, but it reduced the influence of an elevated CO2 concentration. We thus assume that Q. mongolica formed woody tissue with a low extractive content under the high CO2 concentration condition, although this response was possibly mitigated by an elevated O3 concentration. Extractives contains antimicrobial components such as tannins, flavonoids, quinones, and terpenoids. The decrease in extractives within the widely distributed Q. mongolica in East Asia may have a non-negligible impact on C cycling in the future earth with high atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Testing stomatal models at the stand level in deciduous angiosperm and evergreen gymnosperm forests using CliMA Land (v0.1)

Abstract. At the leaf level, stomata control the exchange of water and carbon across the air–leaf interface. Stomatal conductance is typically modeled empirically, based on environmental conditions at the leaf surface. Recently developed stomatal optimization models show great skills at predicting carbon and water fluxes at both the leaf and tree levels. However, how well the optimization models perform at larger scales has not been extensively evaluated. Furthermore, stomatal models are often used with simple single-leaf representations of canopy radiative transfer (RT), such as big-leaf models. Nevertheless, the single-leaf canopy RT schemes do not have the capability to model optical properties of the leaves nor the entire canopy. As a result, they are unable to directly link canopy optical properties with light distribution within the canopy to remote sensing data observed from afar. Here, we incorporated one optimization-based and two empirical stomatal models with a comprehensive RT model in the land component of a new Earth system model within CliMA, the Climate Modelling Alliance. The model allowed us to simultaneously simulate carbon and water fluxes as well as leaf and canopy reflectance and fluorescence spectra. We tested our model by comparing our modeled carbon and water fluxes and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) to two flux tower observations (a gymnosperm forest and an angiosperm forest) and satellite SIF retrievals, respectively. All three stomatal models quantitatively predicted the carbon and water fluxes for both forests. The optimization model, in particular, showed increased skill in predicting the water flux given the lower error (ca. 14.2 % and 21.8 % improvement for the gymnosperm and angiosperm forests, respectively) and better 1:1 comparison (slope increases from ca. 0.34 to 0.91 for the gymnosperm forest and from ca. 0.38 to 0.62 for the angiosperm forest). Our model also predicted the SIF yield, quantitatively reproducing seasonal cycles for both forests. We found that using stomatal optimization with a comprehensive RT model showed high accuracy in simulating land surface processes. The ever-increasing number of regional and global datasets of terrestrial plants, such as leaf area index and chlorophyll contents, will help parameterize the land model and improve future Earth system modeling in general.

Looking to the (far) future of climate projection.

The use of climate projections is important in determining Earth's future and our place in it. These projections inform policy, both at the country scale, and globally, assisting leaders in their commitment to various pledges of mitigation in an attempt to prevent further climate change in the future and maybe even reverse it. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) release periodic 'Assessment Reports' which provide a current state of the climate and climate projections from modelling centres.

Missing Burns in the High Northern Latitudes: The Case for Regionally Focused Burned Area Products

Global estimates of burned areas, enabled by the wide-open access to the standard data products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), are heavily relied on by scientists and managers studying issues related to wildfire occurrence and its worldwide consequences. While these datasets, particularly the MODIS MCD64A1 product, have fundamentally improved our understanding of wildfire regimes at the global scale, their performance may be less reliable in certain regions due to a series of region- or ecosystem-specific challenges. Previous studies have indicated that global burned area products tend to underestimate the extent of the burned area within some parts of the boreal domain. Despite this, global products are still being regularly used by research activities and management efforts in the northern regions, likely due to a lack of understanding of the spatial scale of their Arctic-specific limitations, as well as an absence of more reliable alternative products. In this study, we evaluated the performance of two widely used global burned area products, MCD64A1 and FireCCI51, in the circumpolar boreal forests and tundra between 2001 and 2015. Our two-step evaluation shows that MCD64A1 has high commission and omission errors in mapping burned areas in the boreal forests and tundra regions in North America. The omission error overshadows the commission error, leading to MCD64A1 considerably underestimating burned areas in these high northern latitude domains. Based on our estimation, MCD64A1 missed nearly half the total burned areas in the Alaskan and Canadian boreal forests and the tundra during the 15-year period, amounting to an area (74,768 km2) that is equivalent to the land area of the United States state of South Carolina. While the FireCCI51 product performs much better than MCD64A1 in terms of commission error, we found that it also missed about 40% of burned areas in North America north of 60° N between 2001 and 2015. Our intercomparison of MCD64A1 and FireCCI51 with a regionally adapted MODIS-based Arctic Boreal Burned Area (ABBA) shows that the latter outperforms both MCD64A1 and FireCCI51 by a large margin, particularly in terms of omission error, and thus delivers a considerably more accurate and consistent estimate of fire activity in the high northern latitudes. Considering the fact that boreal forests and tundra represent the largest carbon pool on Earth and that wildfire is the dominant disturbance agent in these ecosystems, our study presents a strong case for regional burned area products like ABBA to be included in future Earth system models as the critical input for understanding wildfires’ impacts on global carbon cycling and energy budget.

Study on the relationship among the urbanization process, ecosystem services and human well-being in an arid region in the context of carbon flow: Taking the Manas river basin as an example

The complex interaction among urban socioeconomic development, ecosystem services and human well-being is related to the level of regional sustainable development, which is an important cross scientific issue in the study of natural ecosystems and the social economy and is also an important subject in the study of the “future Earth”. This research quantitatively evaluated the level and the spatial and temporal dynamic characteristics of urbanization, ecosystem services and human well-being in Manas River Basin with carbon elements as the carrier. Then the complex relationships and action mechanisms among the three was revealed by using an approach comprising constraint lines, the urban development benefit index and a correlation analysis. The results showed that urbanization and all its dimensions increased to varying degrees from 2000 to 2015. For the ecosystem services, except for provision services, the other ecosystem services showed a fluctuating downward trend, affected by which human ecological well-being also showed the same trend, while social well-being, economic well-being and total human well-being showed exponential growth. Spatially, in addition to the provision services, the distribution of the other ecosystem services had an obvious spatial differentiation with urbanization. And broadly, the distribution trend showed that the farther away from the city centre an area was, the higher the services level. The constraint line analysis showed that each dimension of urbanization had a significant constraint on the ecosystem services, and the constraint relationship showed the hump type, logarithmic type, and negative line type, which indicated that the potential maximum value of the basin ecosystem services decreased with the improvement of urbanization level. Meanwhile, the extensive urban development made the benefit of urban development of the river basin decline. The correlation analysis showed that human well-being was more affected by urbanization than ecosystem services, especially economic urbanization and land urbanization, which remarkably improved human well-being. However, in the long run, the decline of ecological well-being caused by urbanization will affect the growth potential of human well-being. This study provides a theoretical support and suggestions for the formulation of urban development strategies and the realization of low-carbon and high-quality development for the basin.

Hydraulic adaptability promotes tree life spans under climate dryness

AbstractAimTree life spans, as an important determinant of carbon turnover in forest ecosystems, are strongly linked to climate change. Enhanced drought has led to extensive tree mortality, but whether climate dryness will widely shorten tree life spans remains unclear. Here we aimed to establish the relationship between climate dryness and tree life span, and identify the regulatory effects of functional traits on tree life span.LocationGlobal.Time periodUntil 2015.Major taxa studiedWoody plants.MethodsWe used tree ring records sampled at 2,348 sites ranging from the tropics to Arctic regions to estimate tree life span. First, we investigated which of nine functional traits related to trees' adaptability best explained the variation in tree life span. Second, we established a structural equation model between climate dryness, functional traits and tree life span to illustrate the regulatory effects of climate dryness and trees' adaptability on tree life span.ResultsOur results suggested that tree life span significantly increased with climate dryness across biomes. Hydraulic traits indicating the adaptability of trees to climate dryness regulated the relationship between climate dryness and tree life span. Trees with high‐density wood or with high resistance to drought‐induced embolisms extend their life span with increasing climate dryness, but climate dryness reduces the life spans of low‐drought‐tolerance trees.Main conclusionsTree life span is not fixed within species but regulated by climate dryness and trees' hydraulic adaptability to drought. Our large‐scale links between climate change and tree life span allow for incorporation of these factors into future Earth system models for a better representation of climate‐driven forest dynamics.

Effects of long-term exposure to the low-earth orbit environment on drag augmentation systems

Spacecraft in low-Earth orbit are exposed to environmental threats which can lead to material degradation and component failures. The presence of atomic oxygen and collisions from orbital debris have detrimental effects on the structures, thus affecting their performance. Cranfield University has developed a family of drag augmentation systems (DAS), for end-of-life de-orbit of satellites, addressing the space debris challenge and ensuring that satellites operate responsibly and sustainably. De-orbit devices are stowed on-orbit for the duration of the mission lifetime and, once deployed, the devices must withstand the harsh low Earth environment until re-entry; a process which can take several years. The DAS’ deployable aluminised Kapton sails are particularly susceptible to undercutting by atomic oxygen. In preparation for commercialising the DAS, Cranfield University are investigating the degradation process of the drag sail materials, with the end goal of qualifying the materials for the specific application of drag sails in low Earth orbit (LEO). This paper will outline the proposed research and the expected benefits from the projects. This paper will conclude in a summation of the different on-going research projects at Cranfield University related to commercialising the DAS family. This research will benefit the wider space community by expanding the understanding of the effects of long-term exposure on certain materials, as well as improving the validity of future low Earth atmospheric models.

Science as a common language for contribution to sustainability and peace.

There are many reasons and background factors for conflict including differences in political and social beliefs and values. Wars have also been a threat to the environment and sustainability. Inequality and disparity are more apparent in the world due to COVID-19. Now, we also need to consider environmental changes caused by human activities as climate extremes might cause new conflicts. More studies are needed for a comprehensive understanding of holistic views on challenges at the interfaces of peace and sustainability that inherently involve inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration among cohorts of communities of practice. Collaborative scientific research on these interfaces is being conducted under the Future Earth Programme, and many others. In this commentary, I posit that science offers an effective pathway and a common platform for engagement and interactions aimed at the nexus of sustainability and peace under global changes.

Towards construction of the richer concept of justice and the effective concept of care

Professor Tetsuhiko Shinagawa is a professor of philosophy and ethics at the Faculty of Letters, Kansai University, Japan, who is interested in the foundations of ethics. He believes that modern orthodox ethical theories such as liberalism and deontology are founded on justice and right. But he sees flaws in these theories as they presuppose that society consists of equal and self-sufficient members, which is not the case. He is interested in ethical theories that are founded on norms other than justice and can be applied to relation with asymmetry of power, specifically Carol Gilligan's ethic of care and Hans Jonas' principle of responsibility. The former is a normative ethical theory that stems from the interconnected nature of the human condition and surrounds the need for responsiveness to the vulnerability of human beings, while the latter posits that human survival is dependent on our ability to care for the planet as the home of future generations, with our actions having a direct impact on the Earth's future. Shinagawa is investigating how the ethical norms of justice and care can be applied to social issues and aid vulnerable members of society. The two ethical norms are contrasted but mutually supplementing and Shinagawa is interested in how they can lead to overlapping guidelines for aiding the needy as an actual social issue, transforming their respective conceptions. This research is looking to overcome limitations associated with the two social norms and combine the two norms in order to arrive at a richer concept of justice and an effective concept of care.

Photonic integration of Er3+:Y2SiO5 with thin-film lithium niobate by flip chip bonding.

Rare earth ions are known as promising candidates for building quantum light-matter interface. However, tunable photonic cavity access to rare earth ions in their desired host crystal remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the integration of erbium doped yttrium orthosilicate (Er3+:Y2SiO5) with thin-film lithium niobate photonic circuit by plasma-activated direct flip chip bonding. Resonant coupling to erbium ions is realized by on-chip electro-optically tuned high Q lithium niobate micro-ring resonators. Fluorescence and absorption of erbium ions at 1536.48 nm are measured in the waveguides, while the collective ion-cavity cooperativity with micro-ring resonators is assessed to be 0.36. This work presents a versatile scheme for future rare earth ion integrated quantum devices.

Coastal morphology from space: A showcase of monitoring the topography-bathymetry continuum

With a large part of the world's population residing in coastal areas, and largely depending on the coastal environment, monitoring natural and human-induced coastal changes are paramount to understand the dynamic and vulnerability of these coastal systems/communities. To understand changes in coastal areas, e.g. environmental and social resilience to environmental change, local measurements are inadequate. Such large-scale issues can only be addressed with perhaps less accurate but large scale measurements from space. Considering vulnerability or exposure to coastal flooding, both the bathymetry (underwater) and topography (above water) are vital boundary conditions to understand and accurately estimate impacts on short (storms) and long (inter-seasonal) time-scales. In this work, we estimate the coastal bathymetry and topography with the optical VENμS satellite for every single overpass at the Field Research Facility of the US Army Corps of Engineers at Duck, NC. The experimental VENμS satellite enables estimation of the topography and bathymetry by two repetitive identical images with a small time-lag. This capability proofs to result in topographies with a few meters accuracy and the bathymetry estimation is at best a few decimetres accurate. As a base for future Earth Observation missions such as Landsat or Sentinel 2, VENμS shows that higher resolution imagery (5 m), repetitive bands and a revisit time of only 2 days, enables unprecedented land/sea monitoring.

Conjugate evaluation of sustainable carrying capacity of urban agglomeration and multi-scenario policy regulation

The scientific evaluation of carrying capacity and the formulation of adaptive regulation policies are powerful ways to achieve sustainable development goals. In order to quantitatively and accurately diagnose the sustainable development state of urban agglomeration, this paper responds to the “Future Earth” framework; takes the carrying capacity as the breakthrough point; embeds the conjugate thought; considers the elements of the resources, the environment, the ecology, and the development; and establishes the conjugate evaluation model and the evaluation index system of sustainable carrying capacity. In order to solve the actual bottleneck problem of urban agglomeration, this work identifies the key obstacle factors, constructs the multi-scenario dynamic coupling (MSDC) model, recognizes the sensitivity policies, and proposes the adaptive regulation polices. Taking the urban agglomeration on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (UANSTM) in arid areas as a case study, it was found that from 2007 to 2017, the carrying capacity gradually increased, and the sustainable development showed a benign transformation trend in the UANSTM. It will also be in a transitional stage of growth from now to 2035, and the steady development of the economy and the society and the good maintenance of the resources, the environment and the ecology are equally important. The policies on population intervention and on the management of water resources play a vital role, and the speed of economic development should be controlled throughout the whole process. The study confirms that the effective regulation is necessary for the sustainable development of the urban agglomeration in the future, and the key lies in improving technological progress and governance policy support. It is expected that this new and complete research framework for the conjugate evaluation of the sustainable carrying capacity of urban agglomeration and multi-scenario policy regulation can be applied to other regions or urban agglomerations in developing countries and can make a possible breakthrough in promoting the theoretical exploration and practice of sustainable development.

Community Preferences for Urban Systems Transformation in Australia

Civil society engagement is important for enabling urban systems transformations that meet community needs. The development of Future Earth Australia’s Sustainable Cities and Regions: A 10-Year Strategy for Urban Systems was underpinned by cross-sectoral workshops in 7 Australian urban areas and interviews with key stakeholders to create a shared vision of both current and desired future urban structure and policy. We then created an online survey to gauge broader community feedback on the vision which emerged from these workshops and interviews, to compare their outcomes with the views of community members who could be directly impacted by urban decision-making. The survey consisted of 35 questions, which were shaped by the issues emerging from the workshops and interviews. The sample was self-selected, and the 641 respondents represented a cross-section of individuals interested in sustainable cities. Our survey results supported and expanded on the major conclusions of FEA’s National workshop and interview processes, including the need to develop transparent and responsive decision-making processes, limit waste and pollution and develop effective housing and transport alternatives with mixed-use neighborhoods and adequate green space.

Improved Global Maps of the Optimum Growth Temperature, Maximum Light Use Efficiency, and Gross Primary Production for Vegetation

AbstractThe optimum growth temperature (Topt) and maximum light use efficiency (εmax) of terrestrial vegetation are closely related to plant photosynthesis in current and future Earth environments, yet little is known about their spatial distributions at the global scale. This study derived global maps of Topt and εmax separately, under the light use efficiency (LUE) model framework by utilizing FLUXNET measurements and satellite‐observed solar/sun‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), as well as multiple regression and neural network regression based on environmental and biological factors. Topt is found to be positively correlated with annual mean temperature (T), except in cold areas with T < 9°C, where Topt stays within the range of 10°C–15°C. Topt is equal to T in tropical areas with T ≥ 25°C, but is obviously higher than T in other regions. εmax is high in regions with a large amount of diffuse radiation and increases significantly with water stress. The maps of Topt and εmax improved the global gross primary production (GPP) estimation (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 1.38 g C m−2 d−1 against flux observations). The average annual GPP was 126 ± 1.5 PgC yr−1, with a trend of 0.6 ± 0.1 PgC yr−2 during 2001–2016, faster than most previous estimates. Our study suggests that the positive anthropogenic impacts on GPP were underestimated in existing products, including cropland expansion in southern Brazil and afforestation/forest protection efforts in China and western Europe. This study also provides a potential method for unified GPP modeling under the LUE framework.