On the way to realistic large eddy simulations – A comparison of virtual measurements with CHEESEHEAD19 field measurements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luise Wanner ◽  
Sreenath Paleri ◽  
Johannes Speidel ◽  
Ankur Desai ◽  
Matthias Sühring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Large Eddy Simulations ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Closure Problem ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements

<p>Large-eddy simulations are useful tools to study transport processes by mesoscale structures in the atmospheric boundary layer, since in contrast to single-tower eddy covariance measurements, they provide not only temporally but also spatially highly resolved information. Therefore, they are well suited to study the energy balance closure problem, for which the mesoscale transport of latent and sensible heat, triggered by heterogeneous ecosystems, is suspected to be a major cause. However, this requires simulations that are as realistic as possible and thus allow a comparison of real measurements in the field and virtual measurements in the simulation.<br>During the Chequamegon Heterogeneous Ecosystem Energy-balance Study Enabled by a High-density Extensive Array of Detectors (CHEESEHEAD) experiment in the summer of 2019, a heterogeneous 10x10 square km domain was intensively sampled across scales. This data offers a unique possibility to set up large-eddy simulations with realistic surface heterogeneity. We use PALM to simulate two days and an area of 40 by 40 square kilometers incorporating the CHEESEHEAD site. The large scale atmospheric forcings to inform the boundary conditions are determined from the NCEP HRRR product. As the lower boundary condition, we use a soil and land-surface model coupled with a plant-canopy model, which we adapt to the CHEESEHEAD area based on ground-based and airborne measurements of plant physiological data.<br>In this study, we investigate how well the simulations match with real measurements by comparing simulated profiles and virtual tower measurements with field measurements from radiosonde ascents, lidar measurements of three-dimensional wind and water vapor, eddy-covariance measurements from the 400 meter tower in the center of the study domain, as well as from typical eddy-covariance stations distributed through the study area. This way, we investigate how realistic the simulations actually are and to what extent the knowledge gained from them concerning the energy balance closure problem can be transferred to field measurements.</p>

Optimizing large-eddy simulations for investigating the energy-balance closure problem at typical flux measurement heights

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luise Wanner ◽  
Frederik De Roo ◽  
Matthias Mauder
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Large Eddy Simulations ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Balance Study ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Secondary Circulations

<p>The eddy-covariance method generally underestimates sensible and latent heat fluxes, resulting in an energy-balance gap from 10 % to even 30 % across sites worldwide. In contrast to single-tower eddy-covariance measurements, large-eddy simulations (LES) provide information on a 3D array of grid points and can capture atmospheric processes such as secondary circulations on all relevant scales, which makes them a powerful tool to investigate this problem. In order to compare LES results to field measurements at 20 m height from the CHEESEHEAD (Chequamegon Heterogeneous Ecosystem Energy-balance Study Enabled by a High-density Extensive Array of Detectors) campaign, a LES-setup that provides comparability to the measurements at these low levels is necessary. However, former LES studies have shown that the energy balance is almost closed near the surface, which does not reflect the energy-balance gap in measurements. One possible reason might be the common use of prescribed surface fluxes that cannot adapt to changes in surface temperature and moisture, which would allow for the self-reinforcement of secondary circulations. Therefore, we set up an idealized study, in which we compare the performance of the land-surface and plant-canopy models implemented in PALM to the use of prescribed surface fluxes above homogeneous forest and grassland ecosystems under different atmospheric conditions with respect to realistic energy-balance closure behavior. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of a dynamic subgrid-scale model, as well as an alternative to the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (Banerjee et al. 2015, Q. J. R. Met. Soc.).</p>

scholarly journals Some aspects of the energy balance closure problem

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 4395-4402 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Foken ◽  
F. Wimmer ◽  
M. Mauder ◽  
C. Thomas ◽  
C. Liebethal
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Turbulent Fluxes ◽  
Closure Problem ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
Turbulence Spectrum ◽  
Eddy Covariance Method

Abstract. After briefly discussing several reasons for the energy balance closure problem in the surface layer, the paper focuses on the influence of the low frequency part of the turbulence spectrum on the residual. Changes in the turbulent fluxes in this part of the turbulence spectrum were found to have a significant influence on the changes of the residual. Using the ogive method, it was found that the eddy-covariance method underestimates turbulent fluxes in the case of ogives converging for measuring times longer than the typical averaging interval of 30 min. Additionally, the eddy-covariance method underestimates turbulent fluxes for maximal ogive functions within the averaging interval, both mainly due to advection and non-steady state conditions. This has a considerable influence on the use of the eddy-covariance method.

scholarly journals Extension of the Averaging Time in Eddy-Covariance Measurements and Its Effect on the Energy Balance Closure

2014 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doojdao Charuchittipan ◽  
Wolfgang Babel ◽  
Matthias Mauder ◽  
Jens-Peter Leps ◽  
Thomas Foken
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements ◽  
Averaging Time

scholarly journals Some aspects of the energy balance closure problem

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 3381-3402 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Foken ◽  
F. Wimmer ◽  
M. Mauder ◽  
C. Thomas ◽  
C. Liebethal
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Turbulent Fluxes ◽  
Closure Problem ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
Turbulence Spectrum ◽  
Eddy Covariance Method

Abstract. After briefly discussing several reasons for the energy balance closure problem in the surface layer, the paper focuses on the influence of the low frequency part of the turbulence spectrum on the residual. Changes in the turbulent fluxes in this part of the turbulence spectrum were found to have a significant influence on the changes of the residual. Using the ogive method, it was found that the eddy-covariance method underestimates turbulent fluxes in the case of ogives converging for measuring times longer than the typical averaging interval of 30 min. Additionally, the eddy-covariance method underestimates turbulent fluxes for maximal ogive functions within the averaging interval, both mainly due to advection and non-steady state conditions. This has a considerable influence on the use of the eddy-covariance method.

Ground-based lidar observations of vertical aersosol and water vapor profiles within the boundary layer over heterogeneous terrain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Speidel ◽  
Hannes Vogelmann ◽  
Matthias Perfahl ◽  
Matthias Mauder ◽  
Luise Wanner
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Water Vapor ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Precipitation Forecast ◽  
Closure Problem ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Heterogeneous Terrain ◽  
Ground Based Lidar ◽  
Aerosol Backscatter

<p>Connecting the earth's surface with the free troposphere, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) comprises complex dynamics of turbulent behavior. This especially applies for areas with heterogeneous terrain. Relevant near-ground processes such as released energy fluxes and the emission of aerosols and trace gases directly interact with the atmosphere. Therefore, the PBL's physical state is determined both by the near-ground processes as well as entrainment of air parcels from higher layers. The mainly turbulence-driven transport of particles and properties throughout the PBL constrain a comprehensive understanding of the PBL's behavior. Hence, the energy balance closure problem as well as errors in precipitation forecast in long-term numerical weather predictions, amongst others, remain unresolved challenges. Here, ground-based lidar profiling is a well suitable method for observing the PBL, as data sampling allows for high temporal and vertical resolutions (Here: Sampling rate of 100\,Hz and 7.5\,m). During the CHEESEHEAD campaign, carried out in summer 2019, our newly developed ATMONSYS lidar performed measurements over complex terrain in northern Wisconsin. There, our lidar system was embedded in a dense network of multiple in-situ and remote sensing instruments. The central aim of this campaign was to further contribute to solve the energy balance closure problem. With the ATMONSYS lidar, vertical columns of aerosol backscatter coefficients, water vapor and temperature have been recorded. The presented work shows what the data is suitable for in terms of resolution and temporal extent in the first place. As a second point, focus is given on structure and variability of aerosol backscatter coefficient distributions and water vapor concentrations as well as their implications on the prevailing state of the PBL. Based on the presented findings, we discuss the potential and suitability of this experimental data for deriving transport processes within the PBL.</p>

scholarly journals Energy balance measurements over a banana orchard in the Semiarid region in the Northeast of Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1365-1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Antonio Costa dos Santos ◽  
Bernardo Barbosa da Silva ◽  
Tantravahi Venkata Ramana Rao ◽  
Christopher Michael Usher Neale
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Irrigation District ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Energy Balance Closure ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Eddy Covariance System

The objective of this work was to evaluate the reliability of eddy covariance measurements, analyzing the energy balance components, evapotranspiration and energy balance closure in dry and wet growing seasons, in a banana orchard. The experiment was carried out at a farm located within the irrigation district of Quixeré, in the Lower Jaguaribe basin, in Ceará state, Brazil. An eddy covariance system was used to measure the turbulent flux. An automatic weather station was installed in a grass field to obtain the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) from the combined FAO-Penman-Monteith method. Wind speed and vapor pressure deficit are the most important variables on the evaporative process in both growing seasons. In the dry season, the heat fluxes have a similar order of magnitude, and during the wet season the latent heat flux is the largest. The eddy covariance system had acceptable reliability in measuring heat flux, with actual evapotranspiration results comparing well with those obtained by using the water balance method. The energy balance closure had good results for the study area, with mean values of 0.93 and 0.86 for the dry and wet growing seasons respectively.

scholarly journals Estimating evaporation with thermal UAV data and two-source energy balance models

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 697-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hoffmann ◽  
H. Nieto ◽  
R. Jensen ◽  
R. Guzinski ◽  
P. Zarco-Tejada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Thermal Camera ◽  
Model Input ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements

Abstract. Estimating evaporation is important when managing water resources and cultivating crops. Evaporation can be estimated using land surface heat flux models and remotely sensed land surface temperatures (LST), which have recently become obtainable in very high resolution using lightweight thermal cameras and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In this study a thermal camera was mounted on a UAV and applied into the field of heat fluxes and hydrology by concatenating thermal images into mosaics of LST and using these as input for the two-source energy balance (TSEB) modelling scheme. Thermal images are obtained with a fixed-wing UAV overflying a barley field in western Denmark during the growing season of 2014 and a spatial resolution of 0.20 m is obtained in final LST mosaics. Two models are used: the original TSEB model (TSEB-PT) and a dual-temperature-difference (DTD) model. In contrast to the TSEB-PT model, the DTD model accounts for the bias that is likely present in remotely sensed LST. TSEB-PT and DTD have already been well tested, however only during sunny weather conditions and with satellite images serving as thermal input. The aim of this study is to assess whether a lightweight thermal camera mounted on a UAV is able to provide data of sufficient quality to constitute as model input and thus attain accurate and high spatial and temporal resolution surface energy heat fluxes, with special focus on latent heat flux (evaporation). Furthermore, this study evaluates the performance of the TSEB scheme during cloudy and overcast weather conditions, which is feasible due to the low data retrieval altitude (due to low UAV flying altitude) compared to satellite thermal data that are only available during clear-sky conditions. TSEB-PT and DTD fluxes are compared and validated against eddy covariance measurements and the comparison shows that both TSEB-PT and DTD simulations are in good agreement with eddy covariance measurements, with DTD obtaining the best results. The DTD model provides results comparable to studies estimating evaporation with similar experimental setups, but with LST retrieved from satellites instead of a UAV. Further, systematic irrigation patterns on the barley field provide confidence in the veracity of the spatially distributed evaporation revealed by model output maps. Lastly, this study outlines and discusses the thermal UAV image processing that results in mosaics suited for model input. This study shows that the UAV platform and the lightweight thermal camera provide high spatial and temporal resolution data valid for model input and for other potential applications requiring high-resolution and consistent LST.

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