The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD43A3 surface albedo product is unable to provide high-quality albedo data for playa pixels in northern Utah. Discriminating high albedo playa surfaces from clouds is difficult from current satellite retrieval algorithms. Another weather station located on the playa margin of the Great Salt Lake’s Farmington Bay, which is composed primarily of sand and clay, provides contrasting estimates of albedo. A weather station installed during September 2016 to support a comprehensive geomorphologic study of the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) in northern Utah provides estimates of albedo that can be related to cycles of flooding and desiccation of the halite surface. However, the surface albedo of desert playas can be reduced abruptly to less than 25 % by flooding due to rainfall, runoff from surrounding higher terrain, or surface winds advecting shallow water across the playas. Dry highly-reflective halite surfaces are generally characterized by surface albedo over 40 %. Desert playas, such as those in northern Utah, form a landscape often in stark contrast to surrounding mountain ranges due to their minimal topographic relief, lack of vegetation, and saline soils. Specifying surface albedo accurately as a function of land surface type is critical for simulating boundary layer processes in weather and climate models. Université de soutenance : University of Utah After four long days and a glimpse under the hood, I realized this tribe of wrench twisters and daring drivers, alone in the desert, are simply an extension of the thrill seekers I call my own - out on the fringe, welcoming and friendly, likely with a beer in hand, and a smile from cheek to cheek.Titre : Variations in surface albedo arising from flooding and desiccation cycles on the playa surfaces of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah It’s a setting described by Monte Widdison, vice president of Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, as “the last bastion of high-end amateur racing in the world.” As a photographer associated with foot traffic and highballs, I had no idea what to expect from the land of speed freaks and oversized engines. If you’re willing to build it, and work through the speed categories, you’re welcome to run it. At the World of Speed, in early September, the starting line is home to jet-influenced “streamliners,” old school muscle cars, shrouded motorcycles, scooters and everything in between. Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats are home to three annual speed events where racers can go all in - on or in - whatever speed device meets their fancy. It’s a space often heard of but seldom visited, a space where fortune is invested, dreams made and friendships forged - all in the name of speed. There’s a salt flat on the playa with long blue lines and a track that runs through it.
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