The effects of sampling resolution on the surface albedos of dominant land cover types in the North American boreal region

The central role that land surface albedo (α) plays in the physical climate system makes it a key component of climate and ecosystem models. However, this parameter remains one of the largest radiative uncertainties associated with modelling attempts. Uncertainty occurs because models commonly prescribe albedo using in situ observations, which are rarely sufficiently dense to accurately characterize albedo at a regional scale. This is …