An evaluation of new satellite-derived latent and sensible heat fluxes with moored buoy data, OAFlux and NCEP2 reanalysis products

New satellite-derived latent and sensible heat fluxes are performed by using Wind Sat wind speed, Wind Sat sea surface temperature, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasting（ECMWF） air humidity, and ECMWF air temperature from 2004 to 2014. The 55 moored buoys are used to validate them by using the 30 min and 25 km collocation window. Furthermore, the objectively analyzed air-sea heat fluxes（OAFlux） products and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis 2（NCEP2） products are also used for global comparisons. The mean biases of sensible and latent heat fluxes between Wind Sat flux results and buoy flux data are –0.39 and –8.09 W/m^2, respectively. In addition, the rootmean-square（RMS） errors of the sensible and latent heat fluxes between them are 5.53 and 24.69 W/m^2,respectively. The RMS errors of sensible and latent heat fluxes are observed to gradually increase with an increasing buoy wind speed. The difference shows different characteristics with an increasing sea surface temperature, air humidity, and air temperature. The zonal average latent fluxes have some high regions which are mainly located in the trade wind zones where strong winds carry dry air in January, and the maximum value centers are found in the eastern waters of Japan and on the US east coast. Overall, the seasonal variability is pronounced in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The three sensible and latent heat fluxes have similar latitudinal dependencies; however, some differences are found in some local regions.

IMPACTS OF SURFACE SENSIBLE HEAT FLUXES IN THE KEY AREAS OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU ON INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON INTENSITY

The impacts of the variations of surface heat fluxes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding areas on the interannual variation of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon intensity is analyzed using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis monthly sensible heat flux data from 1949 to 2000 and monthly mean wind and temperature field data from 1958 to 1997.The results show that there is a distinct interdecadal trend in sensible heat over the key areas of the TP and the SCS summer monsoon intensity as well as South Asia high intensity (SAHI),the transition occurs in late 1970s.The SCS summer monsoon intensity has a significant positive correlation with the variation of surface sensible heat fluxes over the northwestern part of the TP,while it has negative correlation with the surface sensible heat fluxes in the south of the TP.During the strong SCS summer monsoon year,the vertical ascending motion in the northwestern TP is strengthened,but in the southern TP it is weakened,and the position of the South Asian high is northward,while in the weak summer monsoon year,it is in the contrary.The SAHI is closely related to variation of surface heat fluxes over the TP and surrounding areas,and there exists a negative relationship between the SCS summer monsoon intensity and SAHI.

Numerical Study of Impacts of Soil Moisture on the Diurnal and Seasonal Cycles of Sensible/Latent Heat Fluxes over Semi-arid Region

The semi-arid regions, as climatic and ecosystem transitional zones, are the most vulnerable to global environmental change. Earlier researches indicate that the semi-arid regions are characterized by strong landatmosphere coupling in which soil moisture is the crucial variable in land surface processes. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of the sensible/latent heat fluxes to soil moisture during the growing season based on the enhanced observations at Tongyu in the Jilin province of China, a reference site of international Coordinated Energy and Water Cycle Observations Project （CEOP） in the semi-arid regions, by using a sophisticated land surface model （NCAR_CLM3.0）. Comparisons between the observed and simulated sensible/latent heat fluxes indicate that the soil moisture has obvious effects on the sensible/latent heat fluxes in terms of diurnal cycle and seasonal evolution. Better representation of the soil moisture could improve the model performance to a large degree. Therefore, for the purpose of simulating the land-atmosphere interaction and predicting the climate and water resource changes in semi-arid regions, it is necessary to enhance the description of the soil moisture distribution both in the way of observation and its treatment in land surface models.

Variation of fluxes of water vapor, sensible heat and carbon dioxide above winter wheat and maize canopies

Surface energy fluxes were measured using Bowen-Ratio Energy Balance technique (BREB) and eddy correlation system at Luancheng of Hebei Province, on the North China Plain from 1999 to 2001. Average diurnal variation of surface energy fluxes and CO2 flux for maize showed the inverse “U” type. The average peak fluxes did not appear at noon, but after noon. The average peak CO2 flux was about 1.65 mg m-2 s-1. Crop water use efficiency (WUE) increased quickly in the morning, stabilized after 10:00 and decreased quickly after 15:00 with no evident peak value. The ratio of latent heat flux (λE) to net solar radiation (Rn) was always higher than 70% during winter wheat and maize seasons. The seasonal average ratio of sensible heat flux (H) divided byR n stayed at about 15% above the field surface; the seasonal average ratio of conductive heat flux (G) divided by Rn varied between 5% and 13%, and the averageG/R> n from the wheat canopy was evidently higher than that from the maize canopy. The evaporative fraction (EF) is correlated to the Bowen ratio in a reverse function.EF for winter wheat increased quickly during that revival stage, after the stage, it gradually stabilized to 1.0, and fluctuated around 1.0. EF for maize also fluctuated around 1.0 before the later grain filling stage, and decreased after that stage.

Application of the Reciprocal Analysis for Sensible and Latent Heat Fluxes with Evapotranspiration at a Humid Region

Evapotranspiration acts an important role in hydrologic cycle and water resources planning. But the estimation issue still remains until nowadays. This research attempts to make clear this problem by the following way. In a humid region, by applying the Bowen ratio concept and optimum procedure on the soil surface, sensible and latent heat fluxes are estimated using net radiation (Rn) and heat flux into the ground (G). The method uses air temperature and humidity at a single height by reciprocally determining the soil surface temperature (Ts) and the relative humidity (rehs). This feature can be remarkably extended to the utilization. The validity of the method is confirmed by comparing of observed and estimated latent (lE) and sensible heat flux (H) using the eddy covariance method. The hourly change of the lE, H, Ts and rehs on the soil surface, yearly change of lE and H and relationship of estimated lE and H versus observed are clarified. Furthermore, monthly evapotranspiration is estimated from the lE. The research was conducted using hourly data of FLUXNET at a site of Japan, three sites of the United States and two sites of Europe in humid regions having over 1000 mm of annual precipitation.

The Impact of Soil Moisture Availability upon the Partition of Net Radiation into Sensible and Latent Heat Fluxes

The impact of soil moisture availability on the Bowen ratio and on the partition of net radiation flux into sensible, latent and soil heat fluxes was investigated by using one-dimensional primitive equations with a refined soil parameterization scheme. Simulation results presented that as soil moisture availability increases, the Bowen ratio and the partition of net radiation flux into sensible and soil heat fluxes decrease. The partition of net radiation flux into latent heat flux, however, increases. Quantitative relationships between Bowen ratio and the partitions with soil moisture availability were also given in this study.

An Assessment of the Quality of Surface Sensible Heat Flux Derived from Reanalysis Data through Comparison with Station Observations in Northwest China

The present study compares seasonal and interdecadal variations in surface sensible heat flux over Northwest China between station observations and ERA-40 and NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data for the period 1960-2000. While the seasonal variation in sensible heat flux is found to be consistent between station observations and the two reanalysis datasets, both land-air temperatures difference and surface wind speed show remarkable systematic differences. The sensible heat flux displays obvious interdecadal variability that is season-dependent. In the ERA-40 data, the sensible heat flux in spring, fall, and winter shows interdecadal variations that are similar to observations. In the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data, sensible heat flux variations are inconsistent with and sometimes even opposite to observations. While surface wind speeds from the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data show interdecadal changes consistent with station observations, variations in land-air temperature difference differ greatly from the observed dataset. In terms of land-air temperature difference and surface wind speed, almost no consistency with observations can be identified in the ERA-40 data, apart from the land-air temperature difference in fall and winter. These inconsistencies pose a major obstacle to the application in climate studies of surface sensible heat flux derived from reanalysis data.

Connections between Surface Sensible Heat Net Flux and Regional Summer Precipitation over China

Using the observed monthly precipitation and NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis surface ?ux data from 1951–2000, the connections between the seasonal SSHNF (Surface Sensible Heat Net Flux) over the Asian continent and the regional summer precipitation of China were examined. The patterns of collective and individual correlations were identi?ed. The results indicate that the response of the regional summer precipitation of China to the seasonal SSHNF over the study area varies according to region and season. The interannual variability of summer precipitation anomalies over Xinjiang, the northernmost Northeast China, and the North China Plain are most sensitive to the anomaly of the seasonal SSHNF. There are signi?cant collective correlations between the interannual anomalies of the seasonal SSHNF and summer precipitation over these regions. In contrast, the Southeast Tibetan Plateau, Huaihe River Valley, and surrounding areas exhibit the least signi?cant correlation. Signi?cant individual correlations exist between the summer precipitation over the southernmost Northeast China, East Inner Mongolia, South of the Yangtze River and South China and the seasonal SSHNF in certain seasons over the following areas: near Lake Baikal and Lake Balkhash, near Da Hinggan Mountains and Xiao Hinggan Mountains, as well as the Tibetan Plateau.

Calibration and validation of SiBcrop Model for simulating LAI and surface heat fluxes of winter wheat in the North China Plain

The accurate representation of surface characteristic is an important process to simulate surface energy and water flux in land-atmosphere boundary layer.Coupling crop growth model in land surface model is an important method to accurately express the surface characteristics and biophysical processes in farmland.However,the previous work mainly focused on crops in single cropping system,less work was done in multiple cropping systems.This article described how to modify the sub-model in the SiBcrop to realize the accuracy simulation of leaf area index(LAI),latent heat flux(LHF)and sensible heat flux(SHF)of winter wheat growing in double cropping system in the North China Plain(NCP).The seeding date of winter wheat was firstly reset according to the actual growing environment in the NCP.The phenophases,LAI and heat fluxes in 2004–2006 at Yucheng Station,Shandong Province,China were used to calibrate the model.The validations of LHF and SHF were based on the measurements at Yucheng Station in 2007–2010 and at Guantao Station,Hebei Province,China in 2009–2010.The results showed the significant accuracy of the calibrated model in simulating these variables,with which the R2,root mean square error(RMSE)and index of agreement(IOA)between simulated and observed variables were obviously improved than the original code.The sensitivities of the above variables to seeding date were also displayed to further explain the simulation error of the SiBcrop Model.Overall,the research results indicated the modified SiBcrop Model can be applied to simulate the growth and flux process of winter wheat growing in double cropping system in the NCP.

Deduction of the Sensible Heat Flux from SODAR Data

A new method for deduction of the sensible heat flux is validated with three sets of published SODAR （sound detection and ranging） data. Although the related expressions have previously been confirmed by the author with surface layer data, they have not yet been validated with observations from the boundary layer before this work. In the study, selected SODAR data are used to test the method for the convective boundary layer. The sensible heat flux （SHF） retrieved from SODAR data is found to decrease linearly with height in the mixed layer. The surface sensible heat fluxes derived from the deduced sensible heat flux profiles under convective conditions agree well with those measured by the eddy correlation method. The characteristics of SHF profiles deduced from SODAR data in different places reflect the background meteorology and terrain. The upper part of the SHF profile （SHFP） for a complicated terrain is found to have a different slope from the lower part. It is suggested that the former reflects the advective characteristic of turbulence in upwind topography. A similarity relationship for the estimation of SHFP in a well mixed layer with surface SHF and zero-heat-flux layer height is presented.

Model calculation of air-sea heat fluxes over ocean area near China with GEOS DAS system

The sensible and latent heat fluxes over the ocean area near China were calculated and analyzed by usingthe Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) - four-dimensional Data Assimilation System (DAS). The calculated results showed that the sensible heat flux had its large value in winter and autumn , small value in spring and summer overthe ocean area near China. In winter, the sensible heat flux increased distinctly with latitude, and its isolines were verycrowded. Over the ocean area east of Taiwan Province and south of Japan, the direction of isoline was from southwestto northeast. In the South China Sea the sensible heat flux was lower than that of surrounding ocean areas,and its isoline was distributed into a type of an inverted trough. In autumn and winter, the maximum center of latent heat flux appeared over the ocean area northeast of Taiwan Province and south and southeast of Japan, meanwhile, the isoline wasin the direction of southwest to northeast. In spring and summer, the latent heat flux had minimum value in the Huanghai Sea. At the same time, the maximum value center of latent heat flux appeared over the ocean area south of Japan inspring.

A study of geographical distributions and temporal variations of air-sea heat fluxes over the Pacific

temporal variations and geographical distributions of sensible and latent heat fluxes over the Pacific were calculated and analyzed by using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) - four-dimensional Data Assimilation System (DAS). The calculated results showed that the heat flux over the northwestern Pacific varied obviously with seasons, but over the other ocean areas of the Pacific O cean there were no such phenomena. There was always the highest Value region of latent heat fluxes over the Pacific Ocean, but the values of sensible heat fluxes were often very small except over the ocean area north of 20°N and there was not highest value region at all. The latent heat fluxes had different distribu tions with longitude in different latitudes. And the variations of latent heat fluxes with latitude were not the same in different longitude and also it varied with seasons.

A calculation method of the sensible heat flux by sodar

During the second course of USA - PRC joint air sea interaction experiment in 1986, the temperature structure parameters CT2 were measured by sodar over the Western Pacific Ocean. Based on similarity theory, a method is discussed to calculate the sensible heat flux over the ocean in unstable stratification. Becausehumidity is great over the ocean, so we have to consider the influence of water vapor structure parameter Ce2and the correlation coefficient betweene and T on the calculation of sensible heat flux using CT2 profiles measured by sodar. A new formula is suggested in terms of parameterization. The sensible heat flux calculated by sodar measurements is compared with that by bulk transfer method, and the results agree well.

Determination of Land Surface Heat Fluxes at Different Temporal Scales over the Tibetan Plateau

Surface energy budget components(such as net radiation flux,sensible heat flux,latent heat flux and soil heat flux)at multiple temporal scales have significant meaning for understanding the energy and water cycle over the Tibetan Plateau(TP).In the framework of ESA-MOST Dragon Programme 4,the surface energy balance system(SEBS)was tested and used to derive surface heat fluxes at different temporal scales over the TP by a combination use of geostationary satellite(FY-2 C)data,polar orbiting satellite(SPOT/VGT,Terra/MODIS)data and ITPCAS forcing data.The validation results show there is a good agreement between derived heat fluxes and in situ measurements from Third Pole Environment Observation and Research Platform(TPEORP),which means the feasibility to derive surface heat fluxes over heterogeneous landscapes by a combination use of geostationary and polar orbiting satellite data in SEBS.The diurnal,seasonal and inter-annual variation characteristics were also clearly identified through analyses of derived turbulent fluxes.

Characteristics of Lake Breezes and Their Impacts on Energy and Carbon Fluxes in Mountainous Areas

In mountainous lake areas, lake–land and mountain–valley breezes interact with each other, leading to an "extended lake breeze". These extended lake breezes can regulate and control energy and carbon cycles at different scales. Based on meteorological and turbulent fluxes data from an eddy covariance observation site at Erhai Lake in the Dali Basin,southwest China, characteristics of daytime and nighttime extended lake breezes and their impacts on energy and carbon dioxide exchange in 2015 are investigated. Lake breezes dominate during the daytime while, due to different prevailing circulations at night, there are two types of nighttime breezes. The mountain breeze from the Cangshan Mountain range leads to N1 type nighttime breeze events. When a cyclonic circulation forms and maintains in the southern part of Erhai Lake at night, its northern branch contributes to the formation of N2 type nighttime breeze events. The prevailing wind directions for daytime, N1, and N2 breeze events are southeast, west, and southeast, respectively. Daytime breeze events are more intense than N1 events and weaker than N2 events. During daytime breeze events, the lake breeze decreases the sensible heat flux(Hs) and carbon dioxide flux(F_(CO_2)) and increases the latent heat flux(LE). During N1 breeze events, the mountain breeze decreases Hs and LE and increases F_(CO_2). For N2 breeze events, the southeast wind from the lake surface increases Hs and LE and decreases suppress carbon dioxide exchange.

The seasonal variability of an air-sea heat flux in the northern South China Sea

The seasonal variabilities of a latent-heat flux （LHF）, a sensible-heat flux （SHF） and net surface heat flux are examined in the northern South China Sea （NSCS）, including their spatial characteristics, using the in situ data collected by ship from 2006 to 2007. The spatial distribution of LHF in the NSCS is mostly controlled by wind in summer and autumn owing to the lower vertical gradient of air humidity, but is influenced by both wind and near-surface air humidity vertical gradient in spring and winter. The largest area-averaged LHF is in autumn, with the value of 197.25 W/m 2 , followed by that in winter; the third and the forth are in summer and spring, respectively. The net heat flux is positive in spring and summer, so the NSCS absorbs heat; and the solar shortwave radiation plays the most important role in the surface heat budget. In autumn and winter, the net heat flux is negative in most of the observation region, so the NSCS loses heat; and the LHF plays the most important role in the surface heat budget. The net heating is mainly a result of the offsetting between heating due to the shortwave radiation and cooling due to the LHF and the upward （outgoing） long wave radiation, since the role of SHF is negligible. The ratio of the magnitudes of the three terms （shortwave radiation to LHF to long-wave radiation） averaged over the entire year is roughly 3：2：1, and the role of SHF is the smallest.

A Case Study of Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions during the Passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone in the Vicinity of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

The authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras North Carolina, between February 15 and 18, 1996. While Nor-Easters per se, which have formed along the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard of the United States have been studied for decades, the actual atmospheric-oceanic mechanics and thermodynamics in the formation of a Nor-Easter has never been documented. We report on having done so with in-situ observations and data-based calculations and a numerical model. The in-situ observations were made via a Control Volume consisting of an array of Eulerian Oceanic-Atmospheric Moorings with current meters, temperature and salinity sensors and meteorological towers. We find that Gulf Stream waters were located surrounding the mooring array, and that with the invasion of cold dry atmospheric air, there was a rapid loss of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere via latent and sensible surface heat flux during the cyclogenesis onset of the storm. A unique feature of this storm was that neither satellite nor buoy data showed significant sea surface cooling in the control volume. The findings indicate that storm winds drove warm saline waters from the Gulf Stream across the continental shelf into the control volume, accounting for a 51 cm rise in water level along the coast. This lateral heat advection provided heat to the control volume of 3.4e+18 Joules. On average, the heat loss at the surface of the control volume, via sensible and latent heat fluxes and radiation, was 0.7e+18 Joules, corresponding to a surface heat flux of -600 Watts per Meter2 (W/m2). However, the heat lost by the control volume as latent and sensible heat fluxes was less than the heat it received via lateral heat advection, resulting in the lack of an often-observed sea surface cooling during other winter storms. The serendipitous and detailed observations and calculations reveal a climatological flywheel in this region, documenting the role of ETCs in the global heat balance.

Interdecadal Change in Extreme Precipitation over South China and Its Mechanism

Based on the daily precipitation data taken from 17 stations over South China during the period of 1961 2003, a sudden change in summer extreme precipitation events over South China in the early 1990s along with the possible mechanism connected with the anomalies of the latent heat flux over the South China Sea and the sensible heat flux over the Indochina peninsula are examined. The results show that both the annual and summer extreme precipitation events have obvious interdecadal variations and have increased significantly since the early 1990s. Moreover, the latent heat flux over the South China Sea and the sensible heat flux over the Indochina peninsula also have obvious interdecadal variations consistent with that of the extreme precipitation, and influence different months＇ extreme precipitation, respectively. Their effects are achieved by the interdecadal increases of the strengthening convection over South China through the South China Sea Summer Monsoon.

Observation-based Estimation of Aerosol-induced Reduction of Planetary Boundary Layer Height

Radiative aerosols are known to influence the surface energy budget and hence the evolution of the planetary boundary layer. In this study, we develop a method to estimate the aerosol-induced reduction in the planetary boundary layer height （PBLH） based on two years of ground-based measurements at a site, the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System （SORPES）, at Nanjing University, China, and radiosonde data from the meteorological station of Nanjing. The observations show that increased aerosol loads lead to a mean decrease of 67.1 W m-2 for downward shortwave radiation （DSR） and a mean increase of 19.2 W m-2 for downward longwave radiation （DLR）, as well as a mean decrease of 9.6 W m-2 for the surface sensible heat flux （SHF） in the daytime. The relative variations of DSR, DLR and SHF are shown as a function of the increment of column mass concentration of particulate matter （PM2.5）. High aerosol loading can significantly increase the atmospheric stability in the planetary boundary layer during both daytime and nighttime. Based on the statistical relationship between SHF and PM2.5 column mass concentrations, the SHF under clean atmospheric conditions （same as the background days） is derived. In this case, the derived SHF, together with observed SHF, are then used to estimate changes in the PBLH related to aerosols. Our results suggest that the PBLH decreases more rapidly with increasing aerosol loading at high aerosol loading. When the daytime mean column mass concentration of PM2.5 reaches 200 mg m-2, the decrease in the PBLH at 1600 LST （local standard time） is about 450 m.

A Diagnostic Analysis on the Effect of the Residual Layer in Convective Boundary Layer Development near Mongolia Using 20th Century Reanalysis Data

Although the residual layer has already been noted in the classical diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer, its effect on the development of the convective boundary layer has not been well studied. In this study, based on 3-hourly 20th century reanalysis data, the residual layer is considered as a common layer capping the convective boundary layer. It is identified dally by investigating the development of the convective boundary layer. The region of interest is bounded by （30^-60~N, 80^-120~E）, where a residual layer deeper than 2000 m has been reported using radiosondes. The lapse rate and wind shear within the residual layer are compared with the surface sensible heat flux by investigating their climatological means, interannual variations and daily variations. The lapse rate of the residual layer and the convective boundary layer depth correspond well in their seasonal variations and climatological mean patterns. On the interannual scale, the correlation coefficient between their regional averaged （40°-50°N, 90°-110°E） variations is higher than that between the surface sensible heat flux and convective boundary layer depth. On the daily scale, the correlation between the lapse rate and the convective boundary layer depth in most months is still statistically significant during 1970-2012. Therefore, we suggest that the existence of a deep neutral residual layer is crucial to the formation of a deep convective boundary layer near the Mongolian regions.