Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

The Influence of Surface Texture on Regionally Aggregated Evaporation and Energy Partitioning

Daniel Bünzli Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland

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Hans Peter Schmid Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

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Print Publication:
01 Mar 1998
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1998)055<0961:TIOSTO>2.0.CO;2
Page(s):
961–972
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Abstract

Areally averaged surface fluxes of sensible heat and latent heat are evaluated over periodically varying terrain, using a two-dimensional E–ε model with high spatial resolution and a parameterization of the local surface energy balance according to Penman and Monteith. The dependence of the aggregated fluxes on basic surface descriptors is quantified, including surface resistance, available energy flux, area fraction covered by each surface type, and “patchiness,” that is, the number of transitions per unit area. The results are compared with those of an analytical averaging scheme based on the concept of a numerical blending height. It is shown that the agreement between the two methods is close, provided that the blending height applied in the analytical approach can be determined more accurately than an order of magnitude estimate. Finally, the E–ε model used as basic tool is presented in detail.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Hans Peter Schmid, Department of Geography, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.

Abstract

Areally averaged surface fluxes of sensible heat and latent heat are evaluated over periodically varying terrain, using a two-dimensional E–ε model with high spatial resolution and a parameterization of the local surface energy balance according to Penman and Monteith. The dependence of the aggregated fluxes on basic surface descriptors is quantified, including surface resistance, available energy flux, area fraction covered by each surface type, and “patchiness,” that is, the number of transitions per unit area. The results are compared with those of an analytical averaging scheme based on the concept of a numerical blending height. It is shown that the agreement between the two methods is close, provided that the blending height applied in the analytical approach can be determined more accurately than an order of magnitude estimate. Finally, the E–ε model used as basic tool is presented in detail.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Hans Peter Schmid, Department of Geography, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.

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