U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling
<p>High-resolution urban climate modeling has faced substantial challenges due to the absence of a globally consistent, spatially continuous, and accurate dataset to represent the spatial heterogeneity of urban surfaces and their biophysical properties. This deficiency has long obstructed the...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Earth System Science Data |
| Online Access: | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/2147/2025/essd-17-2147-2025.pdf |
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| author | Y. Cheng L. Zhao L. Zhao L. Zhao T. Chakraborty K. Oleson M. Demuzere X. Liu Y. Che W. Liao Y. Zhou X. “. Li |
| author_facet | Y. Cheng L. Zhao L. Zhao L. Zhao T. Chakraborty K. Oleson M. Demuzere X. Liu Y. Che W. Liao Y. Zhou X. “. Li |
| author_sort | Y. Cheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>High-resolution urban climate modeling has faced substantial challenges due to the absence of a globally consistent, spatially continuous, and accurate dataset to represent the spatial heterogeneity of urban surfaces and their biophysical properties. This deficiency has long obstructed the development of urban-resolving Earth system models (ESMs) and ultra-high-resolution urban climate modeling, over large domains. Here, we present U-Surf, a first-of-its-kind 1 km resolution present-day (circa 2020) global continuous urban surface parameter dataset. Using the urban canopy model (UCM) in the Community Earth System Model as a base model for satisfying dataset requirements, U-Surf leverages the latest advances in remote sensing, machine learning, and cloud computing to provide the most relevant urban surface biophysical parameters, including radiative, morphological, and thermal properties, for UCMs at the facet and canopy level. Generated using a systematically unified workflow, U-Surf ensures internal consistency among key parameters, making it the first globally coherent urban canopy surface dataset. U-Surf significantly improves the representation of the urban land heterogeneity both within and across cities globally; provides essential, high-fidelity surface biophysical constraints to urban-resolving ESMs; enables detailed city-to-city comparisons across the globe; and supports next-generation kilometer-resolution Earth system modeling across scales. U-Surf parameters can be easily converted or adapted to various types of UCMs, such as those embedded in weather and regional climate models, as well as air quality models. The fundamental urban surface constraints provided by U-Surf can also be used as features for machine learning models and can have other broad-scale applications for socioeconomic, public health, and urban planning contexts. We expect U-Surf to advance the research frontier of urban system science, climate-sensitive urban design, and coupled human–Earth systems in the future. The dataset is publicly available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11247598">https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11247598</a> (Cheng et al., 2024).</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2a1b37678f994a1a9e575bd939e10f6a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1866-3508 1866-3516 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
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| series | Earth System Science Data |
| spelling | doaj-art-2a1b37678f994a1a9e575bd939e10f6a2025-08-20T03:47:45ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth System Science Data1866-35081866-35162025-05-01172147217410.5194/essd-17-2147-2025U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modelingY. Cheng0L. Zhao1L. Zhao2L. Zhao3T. Chakraborty4K. Oleson5M. Demuzere6X. Liu7Y. Che8W. Liao9Y. Zhou10X. “. Li11Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAInstitute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USANational Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAAtmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USAClimate and Global Dynamics Laboratory, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USAB-Kode VOF, Ghent, BelgiumGuangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, ChinaDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA<p>High-resolution urban climate modeling has faced substantial challenges due to the absence of a globally consistent, spatially continuous, and accurate dataset to represent the spatial heterogeneity of urban surfaces and their biophysical properties. This deficiency has long obstructed the development of urban-resolving Earth system models (ESMs) and ultra-high-resolution urban climate modeling, over large domains. Here, we present U-Surf, a first-of-its-kind 1 km resolution present-day (circa 2020) global continuous urban surface parameter dataset. Using the urban canopy model (UCM) in the Community Earth System Model as a base model for satisfying dataset requirements, U-Surf leverages the latest advances in remote sensing, machine learning, and cloud computing to provide the most relevant urban surface biophysical parameters, including radiative, morphological, and thermal properties, for UCMs at the facet and canopy level. Generated using a systematically unified workflow, U-Surf ensures internal consistency among key parameters, making it the first globally coherent urban canopy surface dataset. U-Surf significantly improves the representation of the urban land heterogeneity both within and across cities globally; provides essential, high-fidelity surface biophysical constraints to urban-resolving ESMs; enables detailed city-to-city comparisons across the globe; and supports next-generation kilometer-resolution Earth system modeling across scales. U-Surf parameters can be easily converted or adapted to various types of UCMs, such as those embedded in weather and regional climate models, as well as air quality models. The fundamental urban surface constraints provided by U-Surf can also be used as features for machine learning models and can have other broad-scale applications for socioeconomic, public health, and urban planning contexts. We expect U-Surf to advance the research frontier of urban system science, climate-sensitive urban design, and coupled human–Earth systems in the future. The dataset is publicly available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11247598">https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11247598</a> (Cheng et al., 2024).</p>https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/2147/2025/essd-17-2147-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Y. Cheng L. Zhao L. Zhao L. Zhao T. Chakraborty K. Oleson M. Demuzere X. Liu Y. Che W. Liao Y. Zhou X. “. Li U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling Earth System Science Data |
| title | U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling |
| title_full | U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling |
| title_fullStr | U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling |
| title_short | U-Surf: a global 1 km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer-scale urban-resolving Earth system modeling |
| title_sort | u surf a global 1 thinsp km spatially continuous urban surface property dataset for kilometer scale urban resolving earth system modeling |
| url | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/2147/2025/essd-17-2147-2025.pdf |
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