Estimating Watershed Evapotranspiration with PASS. Part I: Inferring Root-Zone Moisture Conditions Using Satellite Dat

A model framework for parameterized subgrid-scale surface fluxes (PASS) has been modified and applied as PASS1 to use satellite data, models, and limited surface observations to infer root-zone available moisture (RAM) content with high spatial resolution over large terrestrial areas. Data collected during the 1997 Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study field campaign at the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiments site in the Walnut River watershed in Kansas were used to evaluate applications of the PASS1 approach to infer soil moisture content at times of satellite overpasses during cloudless conditions. Data from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers on the NOAA-14 satellite were collected and then adjusted for atmospheric effects by using LOWTRAN7 and local atmospheric profile data from radiosondes. The input variables for PASS1 consisted of normalized difference vegetation index and surface radiant temperature, together with representative observations of downwelling solar irradiance, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Surface parameters, including roughness length, albedo, surface conductance for water vapor, and the ratio of soil heat flux to net radiation, were estimated with parameterizations suitable for the area using satellite data and land-use information; pixel-specific near-surface meteorological conditions such as air temperature, vapor pressure, and wind speed were adjusted according to local surface forcing; and RAM content was estimated using surface energy balance and aerodynamic methods. Comparisons with radar cumulative precipitation observations and in situ soil moisture estimates indicated that the spatial and temporal variations of RAM at the times of satellite overpasses were simulated reasonably well by PASS1

A planetary boundary layer observational capability in Kansas

An initiative is underway to establish the Argonne Boundary Layer Experiments (ABLE) facility to provide continuous, long-term observations of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) with state-of-the-art instruments. Planning for ABLE began during 1995, and implementation is expected to be mostly complete by 1998. ABLE will be located within the area now occupied by the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site of DOE`s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program. The Argonne facility will concentrate on measuring at spatial scales considerably smaller than addressed with CART. When it is fully functional, ABLE will offer atmospheric scientists the opportunity to remotely {open_quote}collect{close_quote} data in real time without necessarily leaving their home offices. Specialized computer analysis and visualization software will be developed and provided by ABLE to facilitate analysis by remote users. ABLE will host specialized field campaigns for which it can provide supplementary measurements and the required facilities for shorter-term instrument deployments. In addition, ABLE will function as the proving ground for new technologies for atmospheric boundary layer research. 1 ref., 1 fig

An eddy-correlation measurement of NO2 flux to vegetation and comparison to O3 flux

Eddy-correlation measurements with a newly developed fast-response NOx sensor indicate that the deposition velocity at a height of about 6m above a soybean field has a maximum value near 0.6cms-1 for NOx and is usually about 2/3 ofthat found for ozone. In these studies, over 90% of the NOx is NO2. The corresponding minimum surface resistance for NOx calculated as the quantity remaining after atmospheric resistances are subtracted is about 1.3 s cm-1, which is larger than expected on the basis of leaf stomatal resistance alone. Emission of NO from sites in the plant canopy and soil where NO2 is deposited and reduced to NO or release of NOx as a result of biological activity may have lessened the downward fluxes of NOx as measured. During windy conditions at night, surface resistances are found to have values of about 15scm-1 for NOx (again, greater than 90% NO2) and 1.8scm-1 for O3, corresponding to deposition velocities of 0.05cms-1 and 0.3cms-1, respectively.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24138/1/0000395.pd

Behavior of the thermal skin of cooling pond waters subjected to moderate wind speeds

The temperature difference ..delta..T/sub delta/ across the partially laminar skin of water on the surface of a water body is determined by the total heat transfer Q through the skin, the wind speed u, and the mean temperature T/sub delta/ of the skin. Systematic measurements of these variables were made over a wide range of conditions at a cooling pond in northeastern Illinois. Waves were present in all cases; the wind speeds were u = 2.5 to 7.0 m s/sup -1/ at a height of 1 m and water temperatures were T/sub delta/ = 18 to 37.5/sup 0/C. The main result is the equation ..delta..T/sub delta/ = 11.5 ..gamma../sup 2/3/kappa/sup 1/3/Qk/sup -1/(tau/rho/sub w/)/sup -1/3/, where ..gamma.. is the water viscosity, kappa is the thermal diffusivity of water, k is the water thermal conductivity, tau is the wind shearing stress, and rho/sub w/ is the water density

Status of instrumentation for the Southern Great Plains Clouds and Radiation Testbed

Planning for the initial complement of instrumentation at the first Clouds and Radiation Testbed (CART) site has concentrated on obtaining a sufficient level of instrumentation at the central facility for studies of radiative transfer processes in a narrow column above the site. The auxiliary facilities, whose sole purpose is cloud mapping above the central facility, will not be activated as such until provisions are made for all-sky imaging systems. In the meantime, the auxiliary facilities wig be instrumented as extended facilities if the locations are suitable, which would be the case if they serve the primary purpose of the extended facilities of obtaining representative observations of surface energy exchanges, state variables, precipitation, soil and vegetative conditions, and other factors that must be considered in terms of boundary conditions by single-column and related models. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radar wind profiler network is being considered to provide observations of vertical profiles at the boundaries of the CART site. If possible, these locations will be used for boundary facilities. Efforts are proceeding to gain access to the wind profiler network data and to determine if a sufficient number of the profilers can be equipped as Radio Acoustic Sounding Systems (RASS). Profiles of temperature as well as winds are needed at the boundary facilities for studies with single-column models and four-dimensional data assimilation models. Balloon-home sounding systems will be used there initially for both temperature and moisture profiles. Infrared spectrometers will eventually be used to infer moisture profiles at these boundary facilities

Aspects of the quality of data from SGP cart site broadband radiation sensors

This report presents details of the performance of broadband radiometers the the southern Great Plains (SGP) cloud and radiation testbed (CART) site to estimate the uncertainties of irradiance observations. Net radiation is observed with net radiometer in the energy balance Bowen ratio station at the central facility and compared with the net radiation computed as the sum of component irradiances recorded by nearby pyranometers and pyrgeometers. This paper observes the uncertainties of readings from net radiometers which are known to be substantial

Estimating the Long-Term Hydrological Budget over Heterogeneous Surfaces

Estimates of the hydrological budget in the Walnut River Watershed (WRW; 5000 km2) of southern Kansas were made with a parameterized subgrid-scale surface (PASS) model for the period 1996–2002. With its subgrid-scale distribution scheme, the PASS model couples surface meteorological observations with satellite remote sensing data to update root-zone available moisture and to simulate surface evapotranspiration rates at high resolution over extended areas. The PASS model is observationally driven, making use of extensive parameterizations of surface properties and processes. Heterogeneities in surface conditions are spatially resolved to an extent determined primarily by the satellite data pixel size. The purpose of modeling the spatial and interannual variability of water budget components at the regional scale is to evaluate the PASS model’s ability to bridge a large grid cell of a climate model with its subgrid-scale variation. Modeled results indicate that annual total evapotranspiration at the WRW is about 66%–88% of annual precipitation—reasonable values for southeastern Kansas—and that it varies spatially and temporally. Seasonal distribution of precipitation plays an important role in evapotranspiration estimates. Comparison of modeled runoff with stream gauge measurements demonstrated close agreement and verified the accuracy of modeled evapotranspiration at the regional scale. In situ measurements of energy fluxes compare favorably with the modeled values for corresponding grid cells, and measured surface soil moisture corresponds with modeled root-zone available moisture in terms of temporal variability despite very heterogeneous surface conditions. With its ability to couple remote sensing data with surface meteorology data and its computational efficiency, PASS is easily used for modeling surface hydrological components over an extended region and in real time. Thus, it can fill a gap in evaluations of climate model output using limited field observations

Surface heat flux data from energy balance Bowen ratio systems

The 350 {times} 400 km domain of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program`s Clouds and Radiation Testbed (CART) site in the southern Great Plains is equipped with 10 energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) stations at grassland sites; they measure the net radiation, ground heat flux, and temperature/humidity differences between 1.0 and 2.0 m heights. The latter differences provide estimates of the geometric Bowen ratio ({beta}), which are used to estimate sensible and latent heat fluxes. This paper addresses the problem that occurs when the value of {beta} is near {minus}1 and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the EBBR stations in collecting energy flux data at the CART site

The ARM eddy correlation system for monitoring surface fluxes

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program was established by the Department of Energy as part of the US Global Climate Change Research Program to improve methods of determining radiative transfer and cloud processes in large-scale models. The ARM observational facility in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) of the US uses various types of instrument systems to make continuous measurements of the state of the atmosphere, cloud properties, radiative transfer, and other forms of energy transfer. Most of the instrument systems for these continuous observations come from commercial sources; many are adaptations of systems that have been used previously, mostly in short-term field campaigns. Eddy correlation systems (ECORs) are used to measure the air-surface exchange rates of heat, moisture, and momentum at eight locations in the overall area (350 km by 400 km) of the SGP site. At most locations, measurements are made at a height of about three meters above the ground over tilled agricultural land. At 14 other locations, air-surface exchange is measured above grasslands with an energy balance Bowen ratio system