scholarly journals The annual cycle of meteorological variables and the surface energy balance on Berkner Island, Antarctica

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carleen Reijmer ◽  
Wouter Greuell ◽  
Johannes Oerlemans
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Surface Energy Fluxes ◽  
Summer Temperatures

AbstractIn February 1995 an automatic weather station (AWS) was placed on Thyssen Hohe, the south dome of Berkner Island, Antarctica. A fairly complete 3 year meteorological dataset of hourly average data was obtained. The mean annual temperature is about –24°C. The annual mass balance is about +180 mm we. Summer temperatures stay below 0°C, which implies that no melt takes place. Because the AWS is located on a dome, katabatic winds are not active, the wind direction is variable (directional constancy 0.38) and the wind speed relatively low (4.5 ms−1). Annual average variables are compared with data from Recovery Glacier AWS and Halley station.The measurements are used to evaluate the surface energy fluxes for the 3 year period by using a surface energy-balance model. The annual average gain of energy from the sensible-heat flux ( + 10.8 W m–2) is balanced by a negative net radiative flux (–9.1 W m−2) and a small negative latent-heat flux (-1.7 W rrT2). The annual subsurface flux is small.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Two-Source Snow–Vegetation Energy Balance Model for Estimating Surface Energy Fluxes in a Rangeland Ecosystem

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezar Kongoli ◽  
William P. Kustas ◽  
Martha C. Anderson ◽  
John M. Norman ◽  
Joseph G. Alfieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Energy Fluxes ◽  
Surface Energy Fluxes

Abstract The utility of a snow–vegetation energy balance model for estimating surface energy fluxes is evaluated with field measurements at two sites in a rangeland ecosystem in southwestern Idaho during the winter of 2007: one site dominated by aspen vegetation and the other by sagebrush. Model parameterizations are adopted from the two-source energy balance (TSEB) modeling scheme, which estimates fluxes from the vegetation and surface substrate separately using remotely sensed measurements of land surface temperature. Modifications include development of routines to account for surface snowmelt energy flux and snow masking of vegetation. Comparisons between modeled and measured surface energy fluxes of net radiation and turbulent heat showed reasonable agreement when considering measurement uncertainties in snow environments and the simplified algorithm used for the snow surface heat flux, particularly on a daily basis. There was generally better performance over the aspen field site, likely due to more reliable input data of snow depth/snow cover. The model was robust in capturing the evolution of surface energy fluxes during melt periods. The model behavior was also consistent with previous studies that indicate the occurrence of upward sensible heat fluxes during daytime owing to solar heating of vegetation limbs and branches, which often exceeds the downward sensible heat flux driving the snowmelt. However, model simulations over aspen trees showed that the upward sensible heat flux could be reversed for a lower canopy fraction owing to the dominance of downward sensible heat flux over snow. This indicates that reliable vegetation or snow cover fraction inputs to the model are needed for estimating fluxes over snow-covered landscapes.

scholarly journals The secret life of ice sails

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (242) ◽  
pp. 1049-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEOFFREY W. EVATT ◽  
CHRISTOPH MAYER ◽  
AMY MALLINSON ◽  
I. DAVID ABRAHAMS ◽  
MATTHIAS HEIL ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Glacier Surface

ABSTRACTWe present the first dedicated study into the phenomenon of ice sails. These are clean ice structures that protrude from the surface of a small number of debris-covered glaciers and can grow to heights of over 25 m. We draw together what is known about them from the academic/exploration literature and then analyse imagery. We show here that ice sails can develop by one of two mechanisms, both of which require clean ice to become surrounded by debris-covered ice, where the debris layer is shallow enough for the ice beneath it to melt faster than the clean ice. Once formed, ice sails can persist for decades, in an apparently steady state, before debris layer thickening eventually causes a reversal in the relative melt rates and the ice sails decay to merge back with the surrounding glacier surface. We support our image-based analysis with a surface energy-balance model and show that it compares well with available observations from Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram. A sensitivity analysis of the model is performed and confirms the results from our empirical study that ice sails require a relatively high evaporative heat flux and/or a relatively low sensible heat flux in order to exist.

scholarly journals Analysing surface energy balance closure and partitioning over a semi-arid savanna FLUXNET site in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 3401-3415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhle P. Majozi ◽  
Chris M. Mannaerts ◽  
Abel Ramoelo ◽  
Renaud Mathieu ◽  
Alecia Nickless ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Net Radiation ◽  
Wet Season

Abstract. Flux towers provide essential terrestrial climate, water, and radiation budget information needed for environmental monitoring and evaluation of climate change impacts on ecosystems and society in general. They are also intended for calibration and validation of satellite-based Earth observation and monitoring efforts, such as assessment of evapotranspiration from land and vegetation surfaces using surface energy balance approaches. In this paper, 15 years of Skukuza eddy covariance data, i.e. from 2000 to 2014, were analysed for surface energy balance closure (EBC) and partitioning. The surface energy balance closure was evaluated using the ordinary least squares regression (OLS) of turbulent energy fluxes (sensible (H) and latent heat (LE)) against available energy (net radiation (Rn) less soil heat (G)), and the energy balance ratio (EBR). Partitioning of the surface energy during the wet and dry seasons was also investigated, as well as how it is affected by atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and net radiation. After filtering years with low-quality data (2004–2008), our results show an overall mean EBR of 0.93. Seasonal variations of EBR also showed the wet season with 1.17 and spring (1.02) being closest to unity, with the dry season (0.70) having the highest imbalance. Nocturnal surface energy closure was very low at 0.26, and this was linked to low friction velocity during night-time, with results showing an increase in closure with increase in friction velocity. The energy partition analysis showed that sensible heat flux is the dominant portion of net radiation, especially between March and October, followed by latent heat flux, and lastly the soil heat flux, and during the wet season where latent heat flux dominated sensible heat flux. An increase in net radiation was characterized by an increase in both LE and H, with LE showing a higher rate of increase than H in the wet season, and the reverse happening during the dry season. An increase in VPD is correlated with a decrease in LE and increase in H during the wet season, and an increase in both fluxes during the dry season.

scholarly journals Updated cloud physics in a regional atmospheric climate model improves the modelled surface energy balance of Antarctica

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. van Wessem ◽  
C. H. Reijmer ◽  
J. T. M. Lenaerts ◽  
W. J. van de Berg ◽  
M. R. van den Broeke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Long Wave ◽  
Regional Atmospheric Climate Model

Abstract. In this study the effects of changes in the physics package of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 on the modelled surface energy balance, near-surface temperature and wind speed of Antarctica are presented. The physics package update primarily consists of an improved turbulent and radiative flux scheme and a revised cloud scheme that includes a parameterisation for ice cloud super-saturation. The ice cloud super-saturation has led to more moisture being transported onto the continent, resulting in more and optically thicker clouds and more downward long-wave radiation. Overall, the updated model better represents the surface energy balance, based on a comparison with >750 months of data from nine automatic weather stations located in East Antarctica. Especially the representation of the turbulent sensible heat flux and net long-wave radiative flux has improved with a decrease in biases of up to 40%. As a result, modelled surface temperatures have increased and the bias, when compared to 10 m snow temperatures from 64 ice-core observations, has decreased from −2.3 K to −1.3 K. The weaker surface temperature inversion consequently improves the representation of the sensible heat flux, whereas wind speed biases remain unchanged. However, significant model biases remain, partly because RACMO2 at a resolution of 27 km is unable to resolve steep topography.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Simple Urban Energy Balance Model Using Selected Data from 1-yr Flux Observations at Two Cities

2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Kawai ◽  
Mohammad Kholid Ridwan ◽  
Manabu Kanda
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Wave Radiation ◽  
Urban Energy Balance ◽  
Two Cities ◽  
Urban Energy

Abstract The authors’ objective was to apply the Simple Urban Energy Balance Model for Mesoscale Simulation (SUMM) to cities. Data were selected from 1-yr flux observations conducted at three sites in two cities: one site in Kugahara, Japan (Ku), and two sites in Basel, Switzerland (U1 and U2). A simple vegetation scheme was implemented in SUMM to apply the model to vegetated cities, and the surface energy balance and radiative temperature TR were evaluated. SUMM generally reproduced seasonal and diurnal trends of surface energy balance and TR at Ku and U2, whereas relatively large errors were obtained for the daytime results of sensible heat flux QH and heat storage ΔQS at U1. Overall, daytime underestimations of QH and overestimations of ΔQS and TR were common. These errors were partly induced by the poor parameterization of the natural logarithm of the ratio of roughness length for momentum to heat (κB−1); that is, the observed κB−1 values at vegetated cities were smaller than the simulated values. The authors proposed a new equation for predicting this coefficient. This equation accounts for the existence of vegetation and improves the common errors described above. With the modified formula for κB−1, simulated net all-wave radiation and TR agreed well with observed values, regardless of site and season. However, at U1, simulated QH and ΔQS were still overestimated and underestimated, respectively, relative to observed values.

scholarly journals Evaluation and Parameter-Sensitivity Study of a Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model (SLUCM) with Measurements in Nanjing, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1078-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjing Zhao ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Jianning Sun ◽  
Jun Zou
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Urban Canopy Model ◽  
Canopy Model

Abstract An offline single-layer urban canopy model (SLUCM) was driven by the surface energy balance observations in winter in Nanjing, China, to evaluate the capability of the model to simulate the urban surface energy balance. The results of the evaluation suggest that the simulated daytime net radiation is approximately 20% lower than the observed and display relatively high systematic error, which is due to the relatively poor capacity of the model to simulate the daytime longwave radiation (which is underestimated by approximately 35%). By contrast, the simulated sensible heat flux shows mainly unsystematic error. Moreover, the one-at-a-time method is used to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the major factors affecting the surface energy balance are the albedo, the thermal conductivity, and the roof and wall volumetric heat capacity. The influences of the shape of the street canyon and the average height of buildings are relatively weaker. The effects of the albedo on the fluxes are nearly linear. The effects of the thermal parameters are approximately logarithmic. Furthermore, the simulated sensible heat flux in the SLUCM is insensitive to the morphological parameters of the buildings.

scholarly journals The surface energy balance in a cold-arid permafrost environment, Ladakh Himalaya, India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mohd Wani ◽  
Renoj J. Thayyen ◽  
Chandra Shekhar Prasad Ojha ◽  
Stephan Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Latent Heat Flux ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Longwave Radiation ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
The Alps

Abstract. Cryosphere of the cold-arid trans-Himalayan region is unique with its significant permafrost cover. While the information on the permafrost characteristics and its extent started emerging, the governing energy regimes of this cryosphere region is of particular interest. This paper present the results of Surface Energy Balance (SEB) studies carried out in the upper Ganglass catchment in the Ladakh region of India, which feed directly to the River Indus. The point SEB is estimated using the one-dimensional mode of GEOtop model from 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2017 at 4727 m a.s.l elevation. The model is evaluated using field monitored radiation components, snow depth variations and one-year near-surface ground temperatures and showed good agreement with the respective simulated values. The study site has an air temperature range of −23.7 to 18.1 °C with a mean annual average temperature (MAAT) of −2.5 and ground surface temperature range of −9.8 to 19.1 °C. For the study period, the surface energy balance characteristics of the cold-arid site show that the net radiation was the major component with mean value of 28.9 W m−2 followed by sensible heat flux (13.5 W m−2) and latent heat flux (12.8 W m−2), and the ground heat flux was equal to 0.4 W m−2. The partitioning of energy balance during the study period shows that 47 % of Rn was converted into H, 44 % into LE, 1 % into G and 7 % for melting of seasonal snow. Both the study years experienced distinctly different, low and high snow regime. Key differences due to this snow regime change in surface energy balance characteristics were observed during peak summer (July–August). The latent heat flux was higher (lower) during this period with 39 W m−2 (11 W m−2) during high (low) snow years. The study also shows that the sensible heat flux during the early summer season (May, June) of the high (low) snow was much smaller (higher) −3.4 W m−2 (36.1 W m−2). During the study period, snow cover builds up in the catchment initiated by the last week of December facilitating the ground cooling by almost three months (October to December) of sub-zero temperatures up to −20 °C providing a favourable environment for permafrost. It is observed that the Ladakh region have a very low relative humidity in the range of 43 % as compared to, e.g., ~ 70 % in the Alps facilitating lower incoming longwave radiation and strongly negative net longwave radiation averaging ~ −90 W m−2 compared to −40 W m−2 in the Alps. Hence, the high elevation cold-arid region land surfaces could be overall colder than the locations with more RH such as the Alps. Further, it is apprehended that high incoming shortwave radiation in the region may be facilitating enhanced cooling of wet valley bottom surfaces as a result of stronger evaporation.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an extreme-condition-inverse calibration remote sensing model for mapping energy balance fluxes in arid riparian areas

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 13479-13539 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.-H. Hong ◽  
J. M. H. Hendrickx ◽  
J. Kleissl ◽  
R. G. Allen ◽  
W. G. M. Bastiaanssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Extreme Condition ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Owens Valley

Abstract. Accurate information on the distribution of the surface energy balance components in arid riparian areas is needed for sustainable management of water resources as well as for a better understanding of water and heat exchange processes between the land surface and the atmosphere. Since the spatial and temporal distributions of these fluxes over large areas are difficult to determine from ground measurements alone, their prediction from remote sensing data is very attractive as it enables large area coverage and a high repetition rate. In this study the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used to estimate all the energy balance components in the arid riparian areas of the Middle Rio Grande Basin (New Mexico), San Pedro Basin (Arizona), and Owens Valley (California). We compare instantaneous and daily SEBAL fluxes derived from Landsat TM images to surface-based measurements with eddy covariance flux towers. This study presents evidence that SEBAL yields reliable estimates for actual evapotranspiration rates in riparian areas of the southwestern United States. The great strength of the SEBAL method is its internal calibration procedure that eliminates most of the bias in latent heat flux at the expense of increased bias in sensible heat flux.

scholarly journals Analysing surface energy balance closure and partitioning over a semi-arid savanna FLUXNET site in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhle P. Majozi ◽  
Chris M. Mannaerts ◽  
Abel Ramoelo ◽  
Renaud Mathieu ◽  
Alecia Nickless ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Friction Velocity ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Net Radiation ◽  
Wet Season

Abstract. Flux towers provide essential terrestrial climate, water and radiation budget information needed for environmental monitoring and evaluation of climate change impacts on ecosystems and society in general. They are also intended for calibration and validation of satellite-based earth observation and monitoring efforts, such as assessment of evapotranspiration from land and vegetation surfaces using surface energy balance approaches. In this paper, 15 years of Skukuza eddy covariance data, i.e. from 2000 to 2014, were analysed for surface energy balance closure (EBC) and partitioning. The surface energy balance closure was evaluated using the ordinary least squares regression (OLS) of turbulent energy fluxes (sensible (H) and latent heat (LE)) against available energy (net radiation (Rn) less soil heat (G)), and the energy balance ratio (EBR). Partitioning of the surface energy during the wet and dry seasons was investigated, as well as how it is affected by atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and net radiation. After filtering years with bad data (2004–2008), our results show an overall mean EBR of 0.93. Seasonal variations of EBR also showed summer (0.98) and spring (1.02) were closest to unity, with winter (0.70) having the least closure. Nocturnal surface energy closure was very low at 0.11, and this was linked to low friction velocity during night-time, with results showing an increase in closure with increase in friction velocity. The surface energy partitioning of this savanna ecosystem showed that sensible heat flux dominated the energy partitioning between March and October, followed by latent heat flux, and lastly the soil heat flux, and during the wet season where latent heat flux dominated the sensible heat flux. An increase in net radiation was characterized by an increase in both LE and H, with LE showing a higher rate of increase than H in the wet season, and the reverse happening during the dry season. An increase in VPD is characterized by a decrease in LE and increase in H during the wet season, and an increase of both fluxes during the dry season.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) applied to ASTER imagery with flux-measurements at the SPARC 2004 site (Barrax, Spain)

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1165-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. van der Kwast ◽  
W. Timmermans ◽  
A. Gieske ◽  
Z. Su ◽  
A. Olioso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Surface Energy Fluxes ◽  
Balance System ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Source Models ◽  
Flux Measurements

Abstract. Accurate quantification of the amount and spatial variation of evapotranspiration is important in a wide range of disciplines. Remote sensing based surface energy balance models have been developed to estimate turbulent surface energy fluxes at different scales. The objective of this study is to evaluate the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model on a landscape scale, using tower-based flux measurements at different land cover units during an overpass of the ASTER sensor over the SPARC 2004 experimental site in Barrax (Spain). Additionally, the effect of replacement of empirical roughness functions in the model by field estimates or literature values is investigated. Modelled fluxes correspond better with flux measurements over uniform land cover compared to cases where different land covers are mixed in the measurement footprint. Furthermore SEBS underestimates sensible heat flux, which is common in one source models.

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