scholarly journals Leaf-scale experiments reveal an important omission in the Penman–Monteith equation

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 685-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislaus J. Schymanski ◽  
Dani Or

Abstract. The Penman–Monteith (PM) equation is commonly considered the most advanced physically based approach to computing transpiration rates from plants considering stomatal conductance and atmospheric drivers. It has been widely evaluated at the canopy scale, where aerodynamic and canopy resistance to water vapour are difficult to estimate directly, leading to various empirical corrections when scaling from leaf to canopy. Here, we evaluated the PM equation directly at the leaf scale, using a detailed leaf energy balance model and direct measurements in a controlled, insulated wind tunnel using artificial leaves with fixed and predefined stomatal conductance. Experimental results were consistent with a detailed leaf energy balance model; however, the results revealed systematic deviations from PM-predicted fluxes, which pointed to fundamental problems with the PM equation. Detailed analysis of the derivation by Monteith(1965) and subsequent amendments revealed two errors: one in neglecting two-sided exchange of sensible heat by a planar leaf, and the other related to the representation of hypostomatous leaves, which are very common in temperate climates. The omission of two-sided sensible heat flux led to bias in simulated latent heat flux by the PM equation, which was as high as 50 % of the observed flux in some experiments. Furthermore, we found that the neglect of feedbacks between leaf temperature and radiative energy exchange can lead to additional bias in both latent and sensible heat fluxes. A corrected set of analytical solutions for leaf temperature as well as latent and sensible heat flux is presented, and comparison with the original PM equation indicates a major improvement in reproducing experimental results at the leaf scale. The errors in the original PM equation and its failure to reproduce experimental results at the leaf scale (for which it was originally derived) propagate into inaccurate sensitivities of transpiration and sensible heat fluxes to changes in atmospheric conditions, such as those associated with climate change (even with reasonable present-day performance after calibration). The new formulation presented here rectifies some of the shortcomings of the PM equation and could provide a more robust starting point for canopy representation and climate change studies.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislaus J. Schymanski ◽  
Dani Or

Abstract. The Penman-Monteith (PM) equation is commonly considered the most advanced physically based approach to computing transpiration rates from plants considering stomatal conductance and atmospheric drivers. It has been widely evaluated at the canopy scale, where aerodynamic and canopy resistance to water vapour are difficult to estimate directly, leading to various empirical corrections when scaling from leaf to canopy. Here we evaluated the PM equation directly at the leaf scale, using a detailed leaf energy balance model and direct measurements in a controlled, insulated wind tunnel using artificial leaves with fixed and pre-defined "stomatal" conductance. Experimental results were consistent with a detailed leaf energy balance model; however, the results revealed systematic deviations from PM-predicted fluxes, which pointed to fundamental problems with the PM equation. Detailed analysis of the derivation by Monteith (1965) and later amendments revealed two errors in considering the effect of stomata and the two-sided exchange of sensible heat. A corrected set of analytical solutions for leaf temperature as well as latent and sensible heat flux is presented and comparison with the original PM equation indicates a major improvement in reproducing experimental results at the leaf scale. The errors in the original PM equation and its failure to reproduce experimental results at the leaf scale (for which it was originally derived) propagate into inaccurate sensitivities of transpiration and sensible heat fluxes to changes in atmospheric conditions, such as those associated with climate change (even with reasonable present day performance after calibration). The new formulation presented here rectifies some of the shortcomings of the PM equation and could provide a more robust starting point for canopy representation and climate change studies.


1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (123) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger J. Braithwaite ◽  
Ole B. Olesen

AbstractDaily ice ablation on two outlet glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet, Nordbogletscher (1979–83) and Qamanârssûp sermia (1980–86), is related to air temperature by a linear regression equation. Analysis of this ablation-temperature equation with the help of a simple energy-balance model shows that sensible-heat flux has the greatest temperature response and accounts for about one-half of the temperature response of ablation. Net radiation accounts for about one-quarter of the temperature response of ablation, and latent-heat flux and errors account for the remainder. The temperature response of sensible-heat flux at QQamanârssûp sermia is greater than at Nordbogletscher mainly due to higher average wind speeds. The association of high winds with high temperatures during Föhn events further increases sensible-heat flux. The energy-balance model shows that ablation from a snow surface is only about half that from an ice surface at the same air temperature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 5033-5058
Author(s):  
Guillaume Bigeard ◽  
Benoit Coudert ◽  
Jonas Chirouze ◽  
Salah Er-Raki ◽  
Gilles Boulet ◽  
...  

Abstract. The heterogeneity of Agroecosystems, in terms of hydric conditions, crop types and states, and meteorological forcing, is difficult to characterize precisely at the field scale over an agricultural landscape. This study aims to perform a sensitivity study with respect to the uncertain model inputs of two classical approaches used to map the evapotranspiration of agroecosystems: (1) a surface energy balance (SEB) model, the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model, forced with thermal infrared (TIR) data as a proxy for the crop hydric conditions, and (2) a soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer (SVAT) model, the SEtHyS model, where hydric conditions are computed from a soil water budget. To this end, the models' skill was compared using a large and unique in situ database covering different crops and climate conditions, which was acquired over three experimental sites in southern France and Morocco. On average, the models provide 30 min estimations of latent heat flux (LE) with a RMSE of around 55 W m−2 for TSEB and 47 W m−2 for SEtHyS, and estimations of sensible heat flux (H) with a RMSE of around 29 W m−2 for TSEB and 38 W m−2 for SEtHyS. A sensitivity analysis based on realistic errors aimed to estimate the potential decrease in performance induced by the spatialization process. For the SVAT model, the multi-objective calibration iterative procedure (MCIP) is used to determine and test different sets of parameters. TSEB is run with only one set of parameters and provides acceptable performance for all crop stages apart from the early growing season (LAI < 0.2 m2 m−2) and when hydric stress occurs. An in-depth study on the Priestley–Taylor key parameter highlights its marked diurnal cycle and the need to adjust its value to improve flux partitioning between the sensible and latent heat fluxes (1.5 and 1.25 for France and Morocco, respectively). Optimal values of 1.8–2 were highlighted under cloudy conditions, which is of particular interest due to the emergence of low-altitude drone acquisition. Under developed vegetation (LAI > 0.8 m2 m−2) and unstressed conditions, using sets of parameters that only differentiate crop types is a valuable trade-off for SEtHyS. This study provides some scientific elements regarding the joint use of both approaches and TIR imagery, via the development of new data assimilation and calibration strategies.


1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (123) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger J. Braithwaite ◽  
Ole B. Olesen

AbstractDaily ice ablation on two outlet glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet, Nordbogletscher (1979–83) and Qamanârssûp sermia (1980–86), is related to air temperature by a linear regression equation. Analysis of this ablation-temperature equation with the help of a simple energy-balance model shows that sensible-heat flux has the greatest temperature response and accounts for about one-half of the temperature response of ablation. Net radiation accounts for about one-quarter of the temperature response of ablation, and latent-heat flux and errors account for the remainder. The temperature response of sensible-heat flux at QQamanârssûp sermia is greater than at Nordbogletscher mainly due to higher average wind speeds. The association of high winds with high temperatures during Föhn events further increases sensible-heat flux. The energy-balance model shows that ablation from a snow surface is only about half that from an ice surface at the same air temperature.


2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lemonsu ◽  
S. Bélair ◽  
J. Mailhot ◽  
S. Leroyer

Abstract Using the Montreal Urban Snow Experiment (MUSE) 2005 database, surface radiation and energy exchanges are simulated in offline mode with the Town Energy Balance (TEB) and the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) parameterizations over a heavily populated residential area of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, during the winter–spring transition period (from March to April 2005). The comparison of simulations with flux measurements indicates that the system performs well when roads and alleys are snow covered. In contrast, the storage heat flux is largely underestimated in favor of the sensible heat flux at the end of the period when snow is melted. An evaluation and an improvement of TEB’s snow parameterization have also been conducted by using snow property measurements taken during intensive observational periods. Snow density, depth, and albedo are correctly simulated by TEB for alleys where snow cover is relatively homogeneous. Results are not as good for the evolution of snow on roads, which is more challenging because of spatial and temporal variability related to human activity. An analysis of the residual term of the energy budget—including contributions of snowmelt, heat storage, and anthropogenic heat—is performed by using modeling results and observations. It is found that snowmelt and anthropogenic heat fluxes are reasonably well represented by TEB–ISBA, whereas storage heat flux is underestimated.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezar Kongoli ◽  
William P. Kustas ◽  
Martha C. Anderson ◽  
John M. Norman ◽  
Joseph G. Alfieri ◽  
...  

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e39
Author(s):  
Rubmara Ketzer Oliveira ◽  
Luciano Sobral Fraga Junior ◽  
Larissa Brêtas Moura ◽  
Debora Regina Roberti ◽  
Felipe Gustavo Pilau

Brazil is the main sugarcane producer in the world, which is intended for various purposes, from food to power generation. Soybean cultivation in areas of sugarcane under renewal has been growing progressively in Brazil. Quantifying energy fluxes at different stages of this process is essential for better management. The work was carried out in Piracicaba city, with the objective of analyzing the behavior of energy fluxes and the closing of the energy balance in a sugarcane renewal area with a fallow period followed by soybean cultivation. The latent and sensitive heat fluxes were obtained with the “Eddy covariance” method. The closing of the energy balance in the fallow period with straw-covered uncovered and soybean-cultivated soil presented a correlation coefficient of 0.88, 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. In the period without cultivation, the sensible heat flux was predominant in relation to the latent heat flux, varying according to the rainfall regime. The presence of straw under the soil in the fallow period affected the latent heat flux. With soybean cultivation, the latent heat flux surpassed the sensible heat flux.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 3377-3400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislaus J. Schymanski ◽  
Daniel Breitenstein ◽  
Dani Or

Abstract. Leaf transpiration and energy exchange are coupled processes that operate at small scales yet exert a significant influence on the terrestrial hydrological cycle and climate. Surprisingly, experimental capabilities required to quantify the energy–transpiration coupling at the leaf scale are lacking, challenging our ability to test basic questions of importance for resolving large-scale processes. The present study describes an experimental set-up for the simultaneous observation of transpiration rates and all leaf energy balance components under controlled conditions, using an insulated closed loop miniature wind tunnel and artificial leaves with pre-defined and constant diffusive conductance for water vapour. A range of tests documents the above capabilities of the experimental set-up and points to potential improvements. The tests reveal a conceptual flaw in the assumption that leaf temperature can be characterized by a single value, suggesting that even for thin, planar leaves, a temperature gradient between the irradiated and shaded or transpiring and non-transpiring leaf side can lead to bias when using observed leaf temperatures and fluxes to deduce effective conductances to sensible heat or water vapour transfer. However, comparison of experimental results with an explicit leaf energy balance model revealed only minor effects on simulated leaf energy exchange rates by the neglect of cross-sectional leaf temperature gradients, lending experimental support to our current understanding of leaf gas and energy exchange processes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (242) ◽  
pp. 1049-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEOFFREY W. EVATT ◽  
CHRISTOPH MAYER ◽  
AMY MALLINSON ◽  
I. DAVID ABRAHAMS ◽  
MATTHIAS HEIL ◽  
...  

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.


2022 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-142
Author(s):  
Georg Lackner ◽  
Florent Domine ◽  
Daniel F. Nadeau ◽  
Annie-Claude Parent ◽  
François Anctil ◽  
...  

Abstract. Arctic landscapes are covered in snow for at least 6 months of the year. The energy balance of the snow cover plays a key role in these environments, influencing the surface albedo, the thermal regime of the permafrost, and other factors. Our goal is to quantify all major heat fluxes above, within, and below a low-Arctic snowpack at a shrub tundra site on the east coast of Hudson Bay in eastern Canada. The study is based on observations from a flux tower that uses the eddy covariance approach and from profiles of temperature and thermal conductivity in the snow and soil. Additionally, we compared the observations with simulations produced using the Crocus snow model. We found that radiative losses due to negative longwave radiation are mostly counterbalanced by the sensible heat flux, whereas the latent heat flux is minimal. At the snow surface, the heat flux into the snow is similar in magnitude to the sensible heat flux. Because the snow cover stores very little heat, the majority of the upward heat flux in the snow is used to cool the soil. Overall, the model was able to reproduce the observed energy balance, but due to the effects of atmospheric stratification, it showed some deficiencies when simulating turbulent heat fluxes at an hourly timescale.


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