Webster et al. (2025) Hourly potential light availability maps at 10 m resolution over Switzerland

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-28
• Authors: Clare Webster, Christian Ginzler, Mauro Marty, Anita Nussbaumer, Giulia Mazzotti, Tobias Jonas
• DOI: 10.3929/ethz-c-000789138

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but the creation of a nationwide dataset like SwissRad10, utilizing swissSURFACE3D, suggests involvement of Swiss national research institutions or federal offices responsible for environmental data and mapping (e.g., Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)).

Short Summary

This paper introduces the SwissRad10 dataset, providing novel nationwide light availability maps for Switzerland at 10 meter spatial and hourly temporal resolution across an entire annual solar cycle, accounting for detailed terrain, individual tree shadows, and seasonal foliage changes.

Objective

• To present and describe the SwissRad10 dataset, which offers nationwide, high-resolution light availability maps for Switzerland, enabling diverse applications in forest ecology, microclimate modeling, biogeochemistry, snow modeling, and ecosystem research.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Nationwide (Switzerland), 10 meters resolution.
• Temporal Scale: Hourly resolution, covering an entire annual solar cycle.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Canopy Radiation Model (CanRad) – a detailed synthetic hemispheric image-based model.
• Data sources: Latest airborne lidar and terrain surface data from the swissSURFACE3D dataset.

Main Results

• The SwissRad10 dataset was generated, providing nationwide light availability maps for Switzerland.
• The dataset features a spatial resolution of 10 meters and an hourly temporal resolution, covering a full annual solar cycle.
• It includes calculated variables such as sky-view factor and direct-beam transmissivity, allowing for direct estimation of both direct and diffuse light at the ground surface.
• The dataset resolves the shadow cast by every single tree in Switzerland.
• For forest canopy pixels, light availability is calculated for both leaf-on and leaf-off canopy structures.
• All pixels in the domain include a terrain-only light availability calculation.

Contributions

• Presents the first novel nationwide light availability maps for Switzerland at an unprecedented 10 meter spatial and hourly temporal resolution.
• Uniquely resolves the shadow cast by every single tree across the entire country.
• Incorporates both leaf-on and leaf-off canopy structures, providing a more accurate representation of seasonal light dynamics.
• Offers a valuable, high-resolution resource for various disciplines, including forest microhabitat assessment, microclimate modeling, biogeochemistry, snow modeling, and ecosystem research.

Funding

Not mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Webster2025Hourly,
  author = {Webster, Clare and Ginzler, Christian and Marty, Mauro and Nussbaumer, Anita and Mazzotti, Giulia and Jonas, Tobias},
  title = {Hourly potential light availability maps at 10 m resolution over Switzerland},
  journal = {Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3929/ethz-c-000789138},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000789138}
}