Our climate indicator will communicate concise, intuitive, and quantitative metrics of climate change impacts on land surface phenology (LSP) at multiple assessmentrelevant spatial scales.…

This federal contract award was granted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to North Carolina State University (NC State) to develop a climate indicator that will communicate quantitative metrics of climate change impacts on land surface phenology (LSP) at multiple spatial scales. The $426,804.22 grant will be used to produce national-scale maps of LSP normals and interannual anomalies, and provide data visualization and exploration tools that link remotely-sensed LSP metrics to ground observations. The climate indicator is designed to be flexible and tailored to specific end-user needs, with plans to collaborate with the U.S. Geological Survey, National Phenology Network, and National Park Service to produce LSP climate indicators for national park lands. This grant does not have a set-aside designation.

Our climate indicator will communicate concise, intuitive, and quantitative metrics of climate change impacts on land surface phenology (LSP) at multiple assessmentrelevant spatial scales. National-scale maps of LSP normals and interannual anomalies will be produced by applying state-of-the-art algorithms to modis and viirs image time series. These maps, in combination with statistical summaries of LSP patterns and trends, will provide accessible, intuitive and climate assessment relevant remotely sensed LSP metrics. Further, by developing strategies to seamlessly integrate time series of LSP metrics from modis and viirs, our effort will lay the foundation for long-term monitoring of LSP in the years to come. To maximize its utility for the national climate assessment (NCA), our climate indicator will provide data sets that synthesize LSP results at spatial scales and for geographic units that are of specific relevance to NCA regions and sectors, and will provide data visualization, exploration, and download tools that link remotely-sensed LSP metrics to ground observations. In doing so, our LSP climate indicator will provide robust metrics of particular significance to the sectors, regions, and cross-cutting topics national climate assessment teams. Specifically, we will provide long-term normal and annual anomaly LSP metrics, and long-term trends in these metrics over time, for the nation, NCA regions, and individual states. These spatial units are selected to provide LSP metrics in units that are both intuitive and that address national climate assessment priorities. A key feature of our proposed climate indicator is that IT is designed to be flexible in terms of the geographical units to which is applied, and hence, more focused and specific LSP climate indicators can be produced that are tailored to specific end-user needs. To demonstrate this capability, we will collaborate with scientists at the USGS, the NPN, and the national park service to produce LSP climate indicators for national park lands that will allow park managers to monitor, quantify, and develop strategies in response to climate change impacts on these critical national resources. By working directly with end-users at the NPS and USGS, we will refine the indicators and the way they are delivered to maximize their decision-support value.