On the temperature coefficient of PCO 2 in seawater

The commonly reported temperature coefficient of P. the equilibrium partial pressure of CO₂, is (P/T) _A,C ,which is about 15 ppm/°C, or 5% of the atmospheric partial pressure of CO₂. This coefficient, however, applies only to deep water, not to surface water which can exchange CO₂ with the atmosphere. The coefficient (P/T) _A,C ,, where designates constancy of the sum of atmospheric and surface-ocean CO₂, is the appropriate value for air-sea exchange. Numerical values are mass-dependent because the depth of the exchanging ocean layer must be specified. For a 100-m surface layer, the value is ca. 1.5 ppm/°C, or 0.5% of ambient CO₂. Editor's Note:In view of the interdisciplinary importance of the carbon dioxide-climate problem, this note on seawater chemistry should be of interest to specialists beyond the discipline of ocean chemistry.     

Aspects of CO2 advection measurements

Observations of vegetation–atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by the eddy covariance (EC) technique are limited by difficult conditions such as nighttime and heterogeneous terrain. Thus, advective flux components are included into the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) budget. However, advection measurements are experimentally challenging and do not always help to solve the night flux problem of the EC technique. This study investigates alternative methods for the observation of horizontal advection, in particular horizontal concentration gradients, as well as different approaches to coordinate rotation and vertical advection. Continuous high-frequency measurements of the horizontal CO₂ concentration field are employed and compared to the often used discontinuous sequential sampling. Significant differences were found in the case of 30-min mean concentration values between the conventional discontinuous sampling approach and the complete observation of the time series by continuous sampling. Estimates of vertical advection rely on accurate estimates of vertical wind velocity ( $\emph{w}$ ). Therefore, different approaches to the planar fit coordinate rotation have been investigated. Sector-wise rotation was able to eliminate directional dependencies of mean $\emph{w}$ . Furthermore, the effect of the data set length used for rotation (window length) was investigated and was found to have significant impact on estimates of vertical advection, with larger window lengths yielding about 50% larger vertical advection. A sequential planar fit with controlled window length is proposed to give reproducible results. The different approaches to the measurement and calculation of horizontal and vertical advection presented are applied to data obtained during the exchange processes in mountainous region experiment at the FLUXNET site Waldstein–Weidenbrunnen (DE-Bay). Estimates of NEE including advection are compared to NEE from turbulent and storage flux alone without advection. NEE including vertical advection with sector-wise planar fit rotation and controlled window length and including horizontal advection from continuous gradient measurements, which were comprehensively bias corrected by a new approach, did compare well with the expected night flux error, with meteorological drivers of the fluxes and with soil chamber measurements. Unrealistically large and noisy values of horizontal advection from the conventional discontinuous sampling approach, which lead to unrealistic values of NEE, could be eliminated by the alternative approaches presented. We therefore suggest the further testing of those approaches at other sites in order to improve the accuracy of advection measurements and, subsequently, estimates of NEE.     

Boundary-Layer Turbulence Over The Nebraska Sandhills

Data from National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Queen Air boundary-layer flights over the Nebraska Sandhills are analyzed to investigate the effects of these low hills on boundary-layer turbulence. The Sandhills are an area of anisotropic rolling terrain with characteristic wavelengths of order 2km and rms height variations of order 25m. The biggest impact is found in early morning flight data where horizontal velocity perturbations appear at the same wavelengths as the terrain and variances (normalised by u ² , where u is the local friction velocity) are significantly enhanced relative to standard flat terrain values. By contrast the vertical velocity variance seems less affected and terrain effects are much less evident in data from the afternoon convective boundary layer.     

The Kolmogorov constant for carbon dioxide in the atmospheric surface layer over a paddy field

From measurements in the atmospheric surface layer over a paddy field, the Kolmogorov constants for CO₂ and longitudinal wind velocity were obtained. In this study, the nondimensional dissipation rate _nc = (1–16 _v )^-1/2 for CO₂ variance and = (1–16 _v )^-1/4 – _v for turbulent energy were used, assuming the equality of the local production term and the local dissipation term, and neglecting the divergence flux term in the budget equation. The value of the constant for CO₂ was consistent with recent determinations for temperature and humidity. The constant for longitudinal wind velocity showed good agreement with other recent observations.     

An examination of simulated regional climate change using an adjoint method

The adjoint of a one-layer model of tropospheric-average temperature advection is used to examine a general circulation model (GCM) doubled CO₂ scenario experiment locally over Europe. The adjoint technique enables a regional temperature anomaly to be accounted for in terms of horizontal advection and thermodynamic sources and sinks, both local and remote. Although the time-averaged regional signal in tropospheric-average temperature over Central Europe in the doubled CO₂ GCM experiment is very small ( 0.1 K) once the Northern Hemispheric mean (+2.2 K) has been subtracted, there is a large variability on decadal time scales, and it is toward one such event that we direct our attention. It is found that a 10-January-mean regional anomaly (2×CO₂-Control) of –1.7 K (with respect to hemispheric average) is primarily accounted for by changes in the advecting winds. The main thermodynamic forcing anomalies during January are situated over Europe itself and upstream over the Atlantic, but these are found to have a secondary direct effect, although their indirect effect via changes in the flow pattern remains to be determined.     

Forest-Air Fluxes Of Carbon, Water And Energy Over Non-Flat Terrain

A field study of surface-air exchange of carbon, water, and energy was conducted at a mid-latitude, mixed forest on non-flat terrain to investigate how to best interpret biological signals from the eddy flux data that may be subject to advective influences. It is shown that during periods of Southwest winds (sector with mild topography), the eddy fluxes are well-behaved in terms of energy balance closure, the existence of a constant flux layer, consistency with chamber observations and the expected abiotic controls on the fluxes. Advective influences are evident during periods with wind from a steep (15%) slope to the Northeast of the tower. These influences appear more severe on CO₂ flux, particularly in stable air, than on the energy fluxes. Large positive flux of CO₂ (> 23 mol m^-2 s^-1) occurs frequently at night. The annual sum of the carbon flux is positive, but the issue about whether the forest is a source of atmospheric carbon remains inconclusive.Attempts are made to assess vertical advectionusing the data collected on a single tower. Over the Southwestsector, vertical advection makes a statistically significant but small contribution to the 30-min energy imbalance and CO₂ flux variations. Contributions by horizontal advection may be larger but cannot be verified directly by the current experimental method.     

Numerical simulation of particle trajectories in inhomogeneous turbulence,II: Systems with variable turbulent velocity scale

It is shown that for the purpose of trajectory simulation, the vertical velocityw _L (t) of a fluid element, which is moving in a system (such as a forest canopy, or the unstably stratified atmospheric surface layer) whose turbulent velocity scale _w is height-dependent, must be chosen from a frequency-distribution which is asymmetric aboutw _L = 0. If the gradient _w /z varies only slowly with height, correct trajectories may be obtained by adding a bias (where _L is the length scale) to a fluctuating velocity chosen from a symmetric distribution with variance _w ²(z).     

Some methodological questions concerning advection measurements: a case study

A dataset from two campaigns conducted at the Vielsalm experimental site in Belgium was used as a basis for discussing some methodological problems and providing intermediate results on estimating CO₂ advection. The analysis focused on the horizontal [CO₂] gradient and on the vertical velocity w, the variables most affected by uncertainty. The sampling error for half-hourly horizontal [CO₂] gradients was estimated to be 1.3 μmol mol⁻¹. Despite this important random error for half-hour estimations of [CO₂], the mean horizontal [CO₂] gradients in advective conditions were shown to be representative at the ecosystem scale and to extend only to the lowest part of a drainage sub-layer, which developed in the trunk space. By contrast, under daytime conditions, this gradient was shown to be more sensitive to local source heterogeneities. The estimation of the short-term averaged vertical velocity ( was the greater source of error when computing advection terms. The traditional correction methods used to obtain are discussed and a (co)sine correction is tested to highlight the instrumental origin of the offset in w. A comparison of measurements by sonic anemometers placed close together above the canopy showed that the uncertainty on was 0.042 m s⁻¹, which is of the same order of magnitude as the velocity itself. In addition, as the drainage sub-layer is limited to the lowest part of the canopy, the representativeness of is questionable. An alternative computation using the divergence of the horizontal wind speed in the trunk space produced a estimation that was four times lower than the single-point measurement. However, this value gives a more realistic estimate of the vertical advection term and improves the CO₂ budget closure at the site.     

Comparison of flux measurements with open- and closed-path gas analyzers above an agricultural field and a forest floor

Comparison was made of the flux measurements of a closed-path CO₂/H₂O analyzer and an open-path H₂O analyzer above a clover field and the forest floor of a Douglas-fir stand. The attenuation of the gas concentration fluctuations caused by the sampling tube of the closed-path analyzer resulted in underestimation of the H20 flux above both surfaces. The degree of underestimation above the clover field depended on wind speed, but was smaller than that calculated from the transfer function for laminar flow in a circular tube and the scalar cospectrum in the neutral and unstable surface layer. Above the forest floor CO₂ fluctuations led those of H₂O by 0.7s. The implications of this are discussed regarding the determination of the time delay caused by the sampling tube of the closedpath analyzer. The day-time CO₂ efflux from the forest floor, averaged over three days, was 0.043 mg/(m²s).     

An observational aircraft-based study of sea-breeze frontogenesis

In the summer of 1988/89 flights were carried out in the Coorong coastal area of South Australia to investigate sea-breeze fronts. The flights yielded data sets of the structure of the fronts in the cross-frontal direction with a spatial resolution of approximately 3 m. The study is focused on the budgets of sensible and latent heat in the vicinity of the front and on frontogenesis/frontolysis processes which are closely related to budget considerations.The frontogenesis relationships and the budgets were established on a 2 km length scale by low-pass filtering of the space series. As the wind components were measured with high accuracy, all processes which determine frontogenesis could be evaluated and are displayed in x,z-cross-sections: these are the confluence, shear and diabatic effects, all of which play a role in q/x-, q/z-, /x- as well as /z-frontogenesis. A detailed analysis is given for two different states of frontal development. The presented results shed much light on the governing physical processes in the frontal region with strong emphasis on the effects of confluence-generated updrafts, on shear instabilities causing bulges and clefts in the frontal surface as well as producing the elevated frontal head, and on processes related to differential heating and moistening.     

The Influence of Hilly Terrain on Canopy-Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Exchange

Topography influences many aspects of forest-atmosphere carbon exchange; yet only a small number of studies have considered the role of topography on the structure of turbulence within and above vegetation and its effect on canopy photosynthesis and the measurement of net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (N_ee) using flux towers. Here, we focus on the interplay between radiative transfer, flow dynamics for neutral stratification, and ecophysiological controls on CO₂ sources and sinks within a canopy on a gentle cosine hill. We examine how topography alters the forest-atmosphere CO₂ exchange rate when compared to uniform flat terrain using a newly developed first-order closure model that explicitly accounts for the flow dynamics, radiative transfer, and nonlinear eco physiological processes within a plant canopy. We show that variation in radiation and airflow due to topography causes only a minor departure in horizontally averaged and vertically integrated photosynthesis from their flat terrain values. However, topography perturbs the airflow and concentration fields in and above plant canopies, leading to significant horizontal and vertical advection of CO₂. Advection terms in the conservation equation may be neglected in flow over homogeneous, flat terrain, and then N_ee = F_c, the vertical turbulent flux of CO₂. Model results suggest that vertical and horizontal advection terms are generally of opposite sign and of the same order as the biological sources and sinks. We show that, close to the hilltop, F_c departs by a factor of three compared to its flat terrain counterpart and that the horizontally averaged F_c-at canopy top differs by more than 20% compared to the flat-terrain case.     

Spectral Characteristics and Correction of Long-Term Eddy-Covariance Measurements Over Two Mixed Hardwood Forests in Non-Flat Terrain

We present turbulence spectra and cospectra derived from long-term eddy-covariancemeasurements (nearly 40,000 hourly data over three to four years) and the transferfunctions of closed-path infrared gas analyzers over two mixed hardwood forests inthe mid-western U.S.A. The measurement heights ranged from 1.3 to 2.1 times themean tree height, and peak vegetation area index (VAI) was 3.5 to 4.7; the topographyat both sites deviates from ideal flat terrain. The analysis follows the approach ofKaimal et al. (Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 98, 563–589, 1972) whose results were based upon 15 hours of measurements atthree heights in the Kansas experiment over flatter and smoother terrain. Both thespectral and cospectral constants and stability functions for normalizing and collapsingspectra and cospectra in the inertial subrange were found to be different from those ofKaimal et al. In unstable conditions, we found that an appropriate stabilityfunction for the non-dimensional dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy is of the form ₍₎ = (1 - b^-)^-1/4 - c^-, where representsthe non-dimensional stability parameter. In stable conditions, a non-linear functionG_xy() = 1 + b_xy^c _xy (c_xy < 1) was found to benecessary to collapse cospectra in the inertial subrange. The empirical cospectralmodels of Kaimal et al. were modified to fit the somewhat more (neutraland unstable) or less (stable) sharply peaked scalar cospectra observed over forestsusing the appropriate cospectral constants and non-linear stability functions. Theempirical coefficients in the stability functions and in the cospectral models varywith measurement height and seasonal changes in VAI. The seasonal differencesare generally larger at the Morgan Monroe State Forest site (greater peak VAI) andcloser to the canopy.The characteristics of transfer functions of the closed-path infrared gas analysersthrough long-tubes for CO₂ and water vapour fluxes were studied empirically. This was done by fitting the ratio between normalized cospectra of CO₂ or watervapour fluxes and those of sensible heat to the transfer function of a first-order sensor.The characteristic time constant for CO₂ is much smaller than that for water vapour. The time constant for water vapour increases greatly with aging tubes. Three methods were used to estimate the flux attenuations and corrections; from June through August, the attenuations of CO₂ fluxes are about 3–4% during the daytime and 6–10% at night on average. For the daytime latent heat flux (Q_E), the attenuations are foundto vary from less than 10% for newer tubes to over 20% for aged tubes. Correctionsto Q_E led to increases in the ratio (Q_H + Q_E)/(Q^* - Q_G) by about 0.05 to0.19 (Q_H is sensible heat flux, Q^* is net radiation and Q_G is soil heat flux),and thus are expected to have an important impact on the assessment of energy balanceclosure.     

On the mean monthly equivalent potential temperature and rainfall in West Africa

Summary Rainfall in West Africa is examined in relation to monthly mean equivalent potential temperature ( _e )at the earth's surface. The study revealed that monthly mean equivalent potential temperature ( _e ) and monthly rainfall (R) generally decreased northwards from the equator.A good relationship existed betweenR and _e in the northern zone of West Africa (i.e., north of 7.5° N). No definite relationship existed in the southern zone. In the northern zone, the departure of _e from its annual mean ( ) first became positive about a month before the onset of the rains. Positive departures from ) generally resulted in more than normal (or average) rainfall in this zone. In general, little or no rainfall occurred in West Africa whenever _e was less than 320 K.

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Zusammenfassung Der Niederschlag (MonatssummeR) in Westafrika wird in Zusammenhang mit der mittleren monatlichen Äquivalent-temperatur ( _e ) an der Erdoberfläche untersucht. Es zeigte sich, daß die Monatswerte beider Elemente im allgemeinen vom Äquator nach Norden abnehmen.ZwischenR und _e ergab sich für das nördliche Westafrika (nördlich von 7.5° N) eine gute, für die südliche Zone jedoch keine beweisbare Übereinstimmung. In der nördlichen Zone übertraf _e das Jahresmittel erstmals etwa einen Monat vor Beginn der Regenzeit. Positive Abweichungen vom mittleren _e hatten immer übernormalen Niederschlag in dieser Zone zur Folge. Dagegen gab es wenig oder keinen Niederschlag in Westafrika, wenn _e unter 320 K lag.

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With 7 Figures     

Variations in atmospheric CO2 at the Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan

Since April 1986, measurements of the CO₂ concentration in the surface air have been conducted at the Meteorological Research Institure (MRI, 36°04 N, 140°07 E, 25 m above sea level) in Tsukuba, located 50 km northeast of Tokyo, Japan. The CO₂ data measured over times between 11:00 Japan Standard Time (JST) and 16:00 JST (C _N ) were considered to be representative of the air (within a few ppmv) in the planetary boundary layer. To evaluate the representative CO₂ level on a spatial scale larger than that of the C _N record, the CO₂ data with hour-to-hour variation less than 1 ppmv were selected (C _P ). Comparison of these data with those of Ryori (39°02 N, 141°50 E), a continental station operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency, indicates that the C _P record provides a representative CO₂ level in the air on spatial scales of at least a few hundred kilometers.The C _N record allows an investigation of the internanual changes in photosynthesis/respiration against changes in climatological parameters. Within a small temperature anomaly (ca.±1 °C) respiration is sensitive to the temperature change, while photosynthesis is less sensitive. When the temperature anomaly is large, however, photosynthesis and respiration tend to be competitive.     

The carbon isotopic ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Tsukuba,Japan

To find out the secular and seasonal trends of the ¹³C value and CO₂ concentration in the surface air and the determination of the ¹³C in the atmospheric CO₂ collected at Tsukuba Science City was carried out during the period from July 1981 to October 1983. The monthly average of the ¹³C value of CO₂ in the surface air collected at 1400 LMT ranged from -7.52 to \s-8.45 with an average of -7.96±0.25 and the CO₂ concentration in the air varied from 334.5 l 1^-1 to 359 l 1^-1 with an average of 347.2±6.3 l 1^-1. The ¹³C value is high in summer and low in winter and is negatively correlated with the CO₂ concentration. In general, the relationship between the ¹³C and the CO₂ concentration is explainable by a simple mixing model of two different constant carbon isotopic species but the relationship does not always follow the model. The correlation between the ¹³C value and the CO₂ concentration is low during the plant growth season and high at other times. The observed negative deviation of the ¹³C value from the simple mixing model in the plant growth season is partly due to the isotopic fractionation process which takes place in the land biota.     

Numerical simulation of turbulent convective flow over wavy terrain

By means of a large-eddy simulation, the convective boundary layer is investigated for flows over wavy terrain. The lower surface varies sinusoidally in the downstream direction while remaining constant in the other. Several cases are considered with amplitude up to 0.15H and wavelength ofH to 8H, whereH is the mean fluid-layer height. At the lower surface, the vertical heat flux is prescribed to be constant and the momentum flux is determined locally from the Monin-Obukhov relationship with a roughness lengthz _o=10^–4 H. The mean wind is varied between zero and 5w _*, wherew _* is the convective velocity scale. After rather long times, the flow structure shows horizontal scales up to 4H, with a pattern similar to that over flat surfaces at corresponding shear friction. Weak mean wind destroys regular spatial structures induced by the surface undulation at zero mean wind. The surface heating suppresses mean-flow recirculation-regions even for steep surface waves. Short surface waves cause strong drag due to hydrostatic and dynamic pressure forces in addition to frictional drag. The pressure drag increases slowly with the mean velocity, and strongly with /H. The turbulence variances increase mainly in the lower half of the mixed layer forU/w _*>2.     

On geoengineering and the CO2 problem

The problem of CO₂ control in the atmosphere is tackled by proposing a kind of fuel cycle for fossil fuels where CO₂ is partially or totally collected at certain transformation points and properly disposed of.CO₂ is disposed of by injection into suitable sinking thermohaline currents that carry and spread it into the deep ocean that has a very large equilibrium capacity.The Mediterranean undercurrent entering the Atlantic at Gibraltar has been identified as one such current; it would have sufficient capacity to deal with all CO₂ produced in Europe even in the year 2100.     

Occurrence of roll circulations in a shallow boundary layer

Meteorological measurements taken at the Näsudden wind turbine site during slightly unstable conditions have been analyzed. The height of the convective boundary layer (CBL) was rather low, varying between 60 and 300 m. Turbulence statistics near the ground followed Monin-Obukhov similarity, whereas the remaining part of the boundary layer can be regarded as a near neutral upper layer. In 55% of the runs, horizontal roll vortices were found. Those were the most unstable runs, with -z _i/L > 5. Spectra and co-spectra are used to identify the structures. Three roll indicators were identified: (i) a low frequency peak in the spectrum of the lateral component at low level; (ii) a corresponding increase in the vertical component at mid-CBL; (iii) a positive covariance {ovvw} together with positive wind shear in the lateral direction (V/z) in the CBL. By applying these indicators, it is possible to show that horizontal roll circulations are likely to be a common phenomenon over the Baltic during late summer and early winter.     

Equilibrium and transient climatic warming induced by increased atmospheric CO2

The change in the Earth's equilibrium global mean surface temperature induced by a doubling of the CO₂ concentration has been estimated as 0.2 to 10 K by surface energy balance models, 0.5 to 4.2 K by radiative-convective models, and 1.3 to 4.2 K by general circulation models. These wide ranges are interpreted and quantified here in terms of the direct radiative, forcing of the increased CO₂, the response of the climate system in the absence of feedback processes, and the feedbacks of the climate system. It is the range in the values of these feedbacks that leads to the ranges in the projections of the global mean surface warming. The time required for a CO₂-induced climate change to reach equilibrium has been characterized by an e-folding time _e with values estimated by a variety of climate/ocean models as 10 to 100 years. Analytical and numerical studies show that this wide range is due to the strong dependence of _e on the equilibrium sensitivity of the climate model and on the effective vertical thermal diffusivity of the ocean model. A coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model simulation for doubled CO₂ suggestes that, as a result of the transport of the CO₂-induced surface heating into the interior of the ocean, _e 50 to 100 years. Theoretical studies for a realistic CO₂ increase between 1850 and 1980 indicate that this sequestering of heat into the ocean's interior is responsible for the concomittant warming being only about half that which would have occurred in the absence of the ocean. These studies also indicate that the climate sytem will continue to warm towards its as yet unrealized equilibrium temperature change, even if there is no further increase in the CO₂ concentration.     

Experimental investigations into variations of ground-based inversions and comparisons with results of simple boundary-layer models

Meteorological data obtained from sensors mounted on a 300-m antenna mast, including wind components and temperature fluctuations together with high resolution profile measurements, were used to calculate quantities which describe the most important processes during the development and decay of ground-based inversions. The vertical distribution of air temperature during the developing phase of radiation inversions has been measured continuously and compared with an existing simple prognostic model. Free and forced convection conditions have been investigated for the inversion lifting phase by measuring the heat fluxes at the surface (H _s) and at the inversion base (H _i), the heating rate of the mixed layer (/z) _m , the friction velocity (u _*) and the entrainment rate (dh/dt). Comparisons between the directly measured entrainment rates and those calculated by models show good agreement. For nearly free convection conditions, the entrainment parameter (k = -H _i/H_s) has been determined to be about 0.25.