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- Author or Editor: Joseph A. Santanello Jr. x
- Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology x
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Abstract
Diurnal variation in soil heat flux is a key constraint on the amount of energy available for sensible and latent heating of the lower troposphere. Many studies have demonstrated that soil heat flux G is strongly correlated with net radiation R n . However, methods to parameterize G based on this relationship typically do not account for the dependency of G on soil properties and ignore asymmetry in the diurnal variation of G relative to R n . In this paper, the diurnal behavior of G as a function of R n is examined for sparse cover and bare soil conditions, focusing on patterns of diurnal variation as well as on the effects of soil moisture and soil type. To this end, information from field data is combined with simulations from a multilayer, diffusion-based soil model over a range of soil conditions and vegetation densities. The results show that a relatively simple function can be used to capture the first-order diurnal covariation between G and R n . Within this framework, soil moisture exerts an important control on this relationship. When soils make the transition from stage-1 (atmosphere limited) to stage-2 (soil limited) evaporation, the ratio of G to R n tends to increase. Further, soils in stage-2 evaporation exhibit positive G later in the day relative to moist soils. Data from several field experiments show that the amplitude of diurnal surface temperature can be used to predict the magnitude and behavior of G/R n by integrating the effects of soil type and moisture. Based on these results, a method to estimate G/R n is proposed that provides a robust representation of G/R n on hourly timescales for varying soil conditions. This method provides improvement over previous semiempirical treatments for G for which diurnal energy balance closure is required.
Abstract
Diurnal variation in soil heat flux is a key constraint on the amount of energy available for sensible and latent heating of the lower troposphere. Many studies have demonstrated that soil heat flux G is strongly correlated with net radiation R n . However, methods to parameterize G based on this relationship typically do not account for the dependency of G on soil properties and ignore asymmetry in the diurnal variation of G relative to R n . In this paper, the diurnal behavior of G as a function of R n is examined for sparse cover and bare soil conditions, focusing on patterns of diurnal variation as well as on the effects of soil moisture and soil type. To this end, information from field data is combined with simulations from a multilayer, diffusion-based soil model over a range of soil conditions and vegetation densities. The results show that a relatively simple function can be used to capture the first-order diurnal covariation between G and R n . Within this framework, soil moisture exerts an important control on this relationship. When soils make the transition from stage-1 (atmosphere limited) to stage-2 (soil limited) evaporation, the ratio of G to R n tends to increase. Further, soils in stage-2 evaporation exhibit positive G later in the day relative to moist soils. Data from several field experiments show that the amplitude of diurnal surface temperature can be used to predict the magnitude and behavior of G/R n by integrating the effects of soil type and moisture. Based on these results, a method to estimate G/R n is proposed that provides a robust representation of G/R n on hourly timescales for varying soil conditions. This method provides improvement over previous semiempirical treatments for G for which diurnal energy balance closure is required.
Abstract
Relationships among convective planetary boundary layer (PBL) evolution and land surface properties are explored using data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Cloud and Radiation Test Bed in the southern Great Plains. Previous attempts to infer surface fluxes from observations of the PBL have been constrained by difficulties in accurately estimating and parameterizing the conservation equation and have been limited to multiday averages or small samples of daily case studies. Using radiosonde and surface flux data for June, July, and August of 1997, 1999, and 2001, a conservation approach was applied to 132 sets of daily observations. Results highlight the limitations of using this method on daily time scales caused by the diurnal variability and complexity of entrainment. A statistical investigation of the relationship among PBL and both land surface and near-surface properties that are not explicitly included in conservation methods indicates that atmospheric stability in the layer of PBL growth is the most influential variable controlling PBL development. Significant relationships between PBL height and soil moisture, 2-m potential temperature, and 2-m specific humidity are also identified through this analysis, and it is found that 76% of the variance in PBL height can be explained by observations of stability and soil water content. Using this approach, it is also possible to use limited observations of the PBL to estimate soil moisture on daily time scales without the need for detailed land surface parameterizations. In the future, the general framework that is presented may provide a means for robust estimation of near-surface soil moisture and land surface energy balance over regional scales.
Abstract
Relationships among convective planetary boundary layer (PBL) evolution and land surface properties are explored using data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Cloud and Radiation Test Bed in the southern Great Plains. Previous attempts to infer surface fluxes from observations of the PBL have been constrained by difficulties in accurately estimating and parameterizing the conservation equation and have been limited to multiday averages or small samples of daily case studies. Using radiosonde and surface flux data for June, July, and August of 1997, 1999, and 2001, a conservation approach was applied to 132 sets of daily observations. Results highlight the limitations of using this method on daily time scales caused by the diurnal variability and complexity of entrainment. A statistical investigation of the relationship among PBL and both land surface and near-surface properties that are not explicitly included in conservation methods indicates that atmospheric stability in the layer of PBL growth is the most influential variable controlling PBL development. Significant relationships between PBL height and soil moisture, 2-m potential temperature, and 2-m specific humidity are also identified through this analysis, and it is found that 76% of the variance in PBL height can be explained by observations of stability and soil water content. Using this approach, it is also possible to use limited observations of the PBL to estimate soil moisture on daily time scales without the need for detailed land surface parameterizations. In the future, the general framework that is presented may provide a means for robust estimation of near-surface soil moisture and land surface energy balance over regional scales.
