Global climate impact of land-surface change driven by radiative effects.

Land-surface changes produce a global temperature response of approximately 0.4 K per W/m², primarily driven by radiative effects linked to planetary albedo shifts.

• Why it matters: Understanding the climate impact of land-surface modifications is crucial because they can alter surface hydrology and introduce non-radiative effects that complicate climate predictions, especially in the context of land-use change and climate mitigation.
• What they did: The study used Earth-system-model simulations with large-scale perturbations in surface albedo and water availability to compare their effects, focusing on the resulting shifts in planetary albedo and temperature.
• The result: Findings show that radiative processes dominate the global-mean temperature response, with regional cloud cover influencing planetary albedo and causing stronger temperature effects in mid- and high-latitudes than in tropical regions.