A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF FEEDBACK MECHANISM IN GREENHOUSE EFFECTS SIMULATED BY NCAR CCM1

This paper describes a diagnostic study of the feedback mechanism in greenhouse effects of increased CO_2 and oth-er trace gases(CH_4,N_2O and CFCs),simulated by general circulation model.The study is based on two sensitivity exper-iments for doubled CO_2 and the inclusion of other trace gases,respectively,using version one of the community climatemodel(CCM1)developed at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.A one-dimensional(1-D)and atwo-dimensional(2-D)radiative-convective models are used to diagnose the feedback effect.It shows that thefeedback factors in global and annual mean conditions are in the sequence of surface albedo,water vapor amount,watervapor distribution,cloud height,critical lapse rate and cloud cover,while in zonal and annual mean conditions in thetropical region the above sequence does not change except the two water vapor terms being the largest feedback compo-nents.Among the feedback components,the total water vapor feedback is the largest(about 50%).The diagnosis alsogives a very small feedback of either the cloud cover or the lapse rate,which is substantially different from the 1-Dfeedback analysis by Hansen et al.(1984).The small lapse rate feedback is considered to be partly caused by theconvective adjustment scheme adopted by CCM1 model.The feedback effect for doubled CO_2 is very different from that of the addition of other trace gases because of theirdifferent vertical distributions of radiative forcing although the non-feedback responses of surface air temperature forboth cases are almost the same.For instance,the larger forcing at surface by the addition of other trace gases can causestronger surface albedo feedback than by doubled CO_2.Besides,because of the negative forcing of doubled CO_2 in thestratosphere,cloud height feedback is more intense.The larger surface forcing in the case of other trace gases can also in-fluence atmospheric water vapor amount as well as the water vapor distribution,which will in turn have strongerfeedback effects.All these indicate that it is incorrect to use“effective CO_2”to replace other trace gases in the generalcirculation model.     

The 1985 chlorine and fluorine inventories in the stratosphere based on ATMOS observations at 30° north latitude

The set of high-resolution infrared solar observations made with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS)-Fourier transform spectrometer from onboard Spacelab 3 (30 April-1 May 1985) has been used to evaluate the total budgets of the odd chlorine and fluorine chemical families in the stratosphere. These budgets are based on volume mixing ratio profiles measured for HCl, HF, CH₃Cl, ClONO₂, CCl₄, CCl₂F₂, CCl₃F, CHClF₂, CF₄, COF₂, and SF₆ near 30° north latitude. When including realistic concentrations for species not measured by ATMOS, i.e., the source gases CH₃CCl₃ and C₂F₃Cl₃ below 25 km, and the reservoirs ClO, HOCl and COFCl between 15 and 40 km (five gases actually measured by other techniques), the 30° N zonal 1985 mean total mixing ratio of chlorine, Cl, was found to be equal to (2.58±0.10) ppbv (parts per billion by volume) throughout the stratosphere, with no significant decrease near the stratopause. The results for total fluorine indicate a slight, but steady, decrease of its volume mixing ratio with increasing altitude, around a mean stratospheric value of (1.15±0.12) ppbv. Both uncertainties correspond to one standard deviation. These mean springtime 1985 stratospheric budgets are commensurate with values reported for the tropospheric Cl and F concentrations in the early 1980s, when allowance is made for the growth rates of their source gases at the ground and the time required for tropospheric air to be transported into the stratosphere. The results are discussed with emphasis on conservation of fluorine and chlorine and the partitioning among source, sink, and reservoir gases throughout the stratosphere.     

Rain scavenging of soluble gases by non-evaporating and evaporating droplets from inhomogeneous atmosphere

We suggest a one-dimensional model of precipitation scavenging of soluble gaseous pollutants by non-evaporating and evaporating droplets that is valid for arbitrary initial vertical distribution of soluble trace gases in the atmosphere. It is shown that for low gradients of soluble trace gases in the atmosphere, scavenging of gaseous pollutants is governed by a linear wave equation that describes propagation of a wave in one direction. The derived equation is solved by the method of characteristics. Scavenging coefficient and the rates of precipitation scavenging are calculated for wet removal of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ammonia (NH₃) using measured initial distributions of trace gases. It is shown that scavenging coefficient for arbitrary initial vertical distribution of soluble trace gases in the atmosphere is non-stationary and height-dependent. In case of exponential initial distribution of soluble trace gases in the atmosphere, scavenging coefficient for non-evaporating droplets in the region between the ground and the position of a scavenging front is a product of rainfall rate, solubility parameter, and the growth constant in the formula for the initial profile of a soluble trace gas in the atmosphere. This expression yields the same estimate of scavenging coefficient for sulfur dioxide scavenging by rain as field estimates presented in McMahon and Denison (1979). It is demonstrated that the smaller the slope of the concentration profile the higher the value of a scavenging coefficient.     

Distributions of ozone and related trace gases at an urban site in western India

Continuous in-situ measurements of surface ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) were conducted at Udaipur city in India during April 2010 to March 2011. We have analyzed the data to investigate both diurnal and seasonal variations in the mixing ratios of trace gases. The diurnal distribution of O₃ showed highest values in the afternoon hours and lower values from evening till early morning. The mixing ratios of CO and NOx showed a sharp peak in the morning hours but lowest in the afternoon hours. The daily mean data of O₃, CO and NOx varied in the ranges of 5–51 ppbv, 145–795 ppbv and 3–25 ppbv, respectively. The mixing ratios of O₃ were highest of 28 ppbv and lowest 19 ppbv during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, respectively. While the mixing ratios of both CO and NOx showed highest and lowest values during the winter and monsoon seasons, respectively. The diurnal pattern of O₃ is mainly controlled by the variations in photochemistry and planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth. On the other hand, the seasonality of O₃, CO and NOx were governed by the long-range transport associated mainly with the summer and winter monsoon circulations over the Indian subcontinent. The back trajectory data indicate that the seasonal variations in trace gases were caused mainly by the shift in long-range transport pattern. In monsoon season, flow of marine air and negligible presence of biomass burning in India resulted in lowest O₃, CO and NOx values. The mixing ratios of CO and NOx show tight correlations during winter and pre-monsoon seasons, while poor correlation in the monsoon season. The emission ratio of ?CO/?NOx showed large seasonal variability but values were lower than those measured over the Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP). The mixing ratios of CO and NOx decreased with the increase in wind speed, while O₃ tended to increase with the wind speed. Effects of other meteorological parameters in the distributions of trace gases were also noticed.     

The distribution of acetaldehyde in the lower troposphere during TROPOZ II

A series of 72 measurements of the acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO) mixing ratio were made in the lower troposphere during TROPOZ II. These measurements are the first ever made of the background level of this trace gas in the free troposphere. The data show a vertical decrease of the CH₃CHO mixing ratio with increasing altitude and indicate higher CH₃CHO concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere — in general agreement with a model-derived average CH₃CHO distribution. Deviations of the observed CH₃CHO mixing ratios from the modelled mean distribution are correlated with similar deviations in the corresponding HCHO mixing ratios.     

Study of a high SO2 event observed over an urban site in western India

Continuous measurements of SO₂, NO_x and O₃ along with sampling based measurements of CO, CH₄, NMHCs and CO₂ were carried out during May, 2010 at Ahmedabad. The diurnal variations of SO₂ in ambient air exhibited elevated values during the night and lower levels during the sunlit hours. The mean concentration of SO₂ during the study period was 0.95 ± 0.88 ppbv. However, the ambient SO₂ exceeded 17 ppbv in the night of 20 May, 2010. On the same day, tropospheric columnar SO₂ from OMI showed almost 350% increase corroborating the surface observations over an extended height regime. This was also the highest columnar value of SO₂ during the summer of 2010. Columnar loadings were also found to be high for formaldehyde, precipitable water vapor and aerosol optical depth on 20 May. Elevated concentrations were also recorded for other trace gases like NO₂ and O₃. Analysis of related data of trace gases indicated characteristics of fresh emissions with dominant contributions from mobile sources during the study period. However, SO₂/NO₂ ratio of 0.36 during the event period on 20th May connotes non-local influences. Analyses of meteorological parameters suggest combined impacts of transport and inversion causing higher levels of SO₂ and other pollutants during 20?C21 May. Episodes of such enhancements may perturb chemical and radiative balance of the atmosphere.     

A Kriging-based Estimate of the Survey Quality in Biomonitoring of Trace Element Air Pollution

The present paper addresses Kriging-based approaches to estimate survey quality, thereby using data on biomonitoring surveys of trace element air pollution. Data were used of a 1995 moss monitoring study in The Netherlands, thereby taking sodium (Na), arsenic (As) and bromium (Br) to illustrate the points made. Survey quality was expressed as the survey signal-to-noise ratio (SSNR), with the survey variance as the signal and the local variance as the noise. The Kriging approaches were regarded in parallel to direct approaches where local variances are determined from multi-fold local sampling.The paper addresses the uncertainties in SSNR associated to the uncertainties in local values and variances if based on pooled samples and a limited 5-fold sub-sampling in a restricted number of sampling sites. It further introduces a Kriging approach to SSNR_K (_K for Kriging), by Kriging-assisted recalculation of local values and variances, in turn based on fitted experimental variograms. The outcomes suggest that the Kriging approach may yield reliable SSNR_K values; the approach implies that SSNR_K depends on survey set-up, site density and sampling grid characteristics. The discussion of the paper addresses the points made and further suggests the use of large sample analytical facilities to permit a change in survey approach from mixing and milling of pooled sub-samples to bulk analyses of all sampled material in higher site-density surveys.     

Mean Flow and Turbulence Characteristics in an Urban Roughness Sublayer

In this study, a detailed model of an urban landscape has been re-constructed inthe wind tunnel and the flow structure inside and above the urban canopy has beeninvestigated. Vertical profiles of all three velocity components have been measuredwith a Laser-Doppler velocimeter, and an extensive analysis of the measured meanflow and turbulence profiles carried out. With respect to the flow structure inside thecanopy, two types of velocity profiles can be distinguished. Within street canyons,the mean wind velocities are almost zero or negative below roof level, while closeto intersections or open squares, significantly higher mean velocities are observed.In the latter case, the turbulent velocities inside the canopy also tend to be higherthan at street-canyon locations. For both types, turbulence kinetic energy and shearstress profiles show pronounced maxima in the flow region immediately above rooflevel.Based on the experimental data, a shear-stress parameterization is proposed, inwhich the velocity scale, u_s, and length scale, z_s, are based on the level and magnitude of the shear stress peak value. In order to account for a flow region inside the canopy with negligible momentum transport, a shear stress displacement height, d_s, is introduced. The proposed scaling and parameterization perform well for the measured profiles and shear-stress data published in the literature.The length scales derived from the shear-stress parameterization also allowdetermination of appropriate scales for the mean wind profile. The roughnesslength, z₀, and displacement height, d₀, can both be described as fractions of the distance, z_s - d_s, between the level of the shear-stress peak and the shear-stress displacement height. This result can be interpreted in such a way that the flow only feels the zone of depth z_s - d_s as the roughness layer. With respect to the lower part of the canopy (z < d_s) the flow behaves as a skimming flow. Correlations between the length scales z_s and d_s and morphometric parameters are discussed.The mean wind profiles above the urban structure follow a logarithmic windlaw. A combination of morphometric estimation methods for d₀ and z₀ with wind velocity measurements at a reference height, which allow calculation of the shear-stress velocity, u_*, appears to be the most reliable and easiest procedure to determine mean wind profile parameters. Inside the roughnesssublayer, a local scaling approach results in good agreement between measuredand predicted mean wind profiles.     

Observed Trends in Total Vertical Column Abundances of Atmospheric Gases from IR Solar Spectra Recorded at the Jungfraujoch

Since 1984, about 15000 high quality infrared solar spectra have beenrecorded with state-of-the-art grating and Fourier transform spectrometersat the International Scientific Station of the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland.Nonlinear least squares spectral curve fitting of selected microwindowscontaining isolated and well characterized lines of 20 telluric gases haveallowed to retrieve their total vertical column abundances above thestation, leading to observational data bases essential to derive long- andshort-term changes experienced by these species during the last 12 years. Inthis paper, we focus on atmospheric gases of particular interest within thecontext of the EUROTRAC/TOR (Tropospheric Ozone Research) project; secularevolution as well as seasonal cycles of the minor constituentsCH₄, CO and of the trace gasesC₂H₆, OCS, C₂H₂, HCNand H₂CO are reported and discussed. The long-livedN₂O is included as a tracer of the dynamic activity of theatmosphere.     

A modified profile method for determining the vertical fluxes of NO,NO2, ozone,and HNO3 in the atmospheric surface layer

A modified profile method for determining the vertical deposition (or/and exhalation) fluxes of NO, NO₂, ozone, and HNO₃ in the atmospheric surface layer is presented. This method is based on the generally accepted micrometeorological ideas of the transfer of momentum, sensible heat and matter near the Earth's surface and the chemical reactions among these trace gases. The analysis (aerodynamic profile method) includes a detailed determination of the micrometeorological quantities (such as the friction velocity, the fluxes of sensible and latent heat, the roughness length and the zero plane displacement), and of the height-invariant fluxes of the composed chemically conservative trace gases with group concentrations c ₁=[NO]+[NO₂]+[HNO₃], c ₂=[NO₂]+[O₃]+3/2·[HNO₃], and c ₃=[NO]–[O₃]–1/2·[HNO₃]. The fluxes of the individual species are finally determined by the numerical solution of a system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the concentrations of ozone and HNO₃ (decoding method). The parameterization of the fluxes is based on the flux-gradient relationships in the turbulent region of the atmospheric surface layer. The model requires only the vertical profile data of wind velocity, temperature and humidity and concentrations of NO, NO₂, ozone, and HNO₃.The method has been applied to vertical profile data obtained at Jülich (September 1984) and collected in the BIATEX joint field experiment LOVENOX (Halvergate, U.K., September 1989).     

On the diffusivity of trace gases under stratospheric conditions

Transport of trace gases within the gas phase to a cloud or a sulphate aerosol droplet proceeds by molecular diffusion at the gas-liquid interface. An accurate determination of the molecular diffusion coefficient has a direct bearing on estimates of trace gas uptake and scavenging. A literature search revealed that this parameter is often chosen rather arbitrarily and the choice of a particular value is constrained by the availability of experimental data which are usually available at one atmospheric pressure under laboratory conditions. Since the process of trace gas transport to droplets occur at heights much above the ground level, it is important to determine an accurate value of the diffusion coefficient at varying levels in the atmosphere. This was achieved theoretically by estimating diffusivities for some important trace gases under stratospheric conditions by a Lennard-Jones method. Molecular diffusivity of 22 trace gases (including ClONO₂, HNO₃, SO₂ and H₂O₂ which may lead to heterogeneous reactions on various surfaces) have been estimated which can be used by modellers for improved scavenging estimates.     

Accuracy of the relaxed eddy-accumulation technique,evaluated using CO2 flux measurements

A system capable of measuring the fluxes of trace gases was developed. It is based on a simpler version of the eddy-accumulation technique (EA), known as the relaxed eddy-accumulation technique (REA). It accumulates air samples associated with updrafts and downdrafts at a constant flow rate in two containers for later analysis of the trace gas mean concentration. The flux integration is based on the durations of updraft and downdraft events, rather than on the vertical wind velocity (W) as is the case for EA and eddy-correlation (EC) techniques. The flux, calculated by the REA technique, is equal to the difference in the mean concentration of the trace gas of interest between the upward and downward moving eddies, multiplied by the standard deviation of the vertical wind velocity and an empirical coefficient. CO₂ fluxes measured for 162 half-hour periods over a soybean field by both EC and REA techniques showed excellent agreement (coefficient of determination,R ²=0.92). The slope (0.985) and the intercept (–0.042 mg m^–2 s^–1) were not significantly different from 1 and 0, respectively, at the 5% level; and the standard error of estimate was 0.074 mg m^–2 s^–1. It is also shown that the empirical coefficient can be calculated from either latent or sensible heat fluxes. A model describing the effect on this empirical coefficient of not sampling aroundW equal to zero is proposed.Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research Contribution No. 92-212.     

Measurements of Trace Gases in the Inflow of South China Sea Background Air and Outflow of Regional Pollution at Tai O, Southern China

We present a 16-month record of ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), total reactive nitrogen (NO_y), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), methane (CH₄), C₂ – C₈ non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), C₁ – C₂ halocarbons, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) measured at a southern China coastal site. The study aimed to establish/update seasonal profiles of chemically active trace gases and pollution tracers in subtropical Asia and to characterize the composition of the `background' atmosphere over the South China Sea (SCS) and of pollution outflow from the industrialized Pearl River Delta (PRD) region and southern China. Most of the measured trace gases of anthropogenic origin exhibited a winter maximum and a summer minimum, while O₃ showed a maximum in autumn which is in contrast to the seasonal behavior of O₃ in rural eastern China and in many mid-latitude remote locations in the western Pacific. The data were segregated into two groups representing the SCS background air and the outflow of regional continental pollution (PRD plus southern China), based on CO mixing ratios and meteorological conditions. NMHCs and halocarbon data were further analyzed to examine the relationships between their variability and atmospheric lifetime and to elucidate the extent of atmospheric processing in the sampled air parcels. The trace gas variability (S) versus lifetime (τ) relationship, defined by the power law, S_lnx = Aτ^{− b}, (where X is the trace gas mixing ratio) gives a fit parameter A of 1.39 and exponent b of 0.42 for SCS air, and A of 2.86 and b of 0.31 for the regional continental air masses. An examination of ln[n-butane]/ln[ethane] versus ln[propane]/ln[ethane] indicates that their relative abundance was dominated by mixing as opposed to photochemistry in both SCS and regional outflow air masses. The very low ratios of ethyne/CO, propane/ethane and toluene/benzene suggest that the SCS air mass has undergone intense atmospheric processing since these gases were released into the atmosphere. Compared to the results from other polluted rural sites and from urban areas, the large values of these species in the outflow of PRD/southern China suggest source(s) emitting higher levels of ethyne, benzene, and toluene, relative to light alkanes. These chemical characteristics could be unique indicators of anthropogenic emissions from southern China.     

Using measured variances to compute surface fluxes and dry deposition velocities: A comparison with measurements from three surface types

Abstract

Fluxes of temperature, water vapour, O₃, SO₂ and CO₂ were estimated from the measurement of their variances, taken over a wetland region in northern Ontario (Canada) during the summer of 1990 and over a deciduous forest when it was fully leafed during the summer of 1988 and when it was leafless during the winter of 1990. A set of flux‐variance relations was employed, including empirical forms of universal functions that could be adjusted with some constants. Results from the present study show that these constants needed to be adjusted with site‐specific data in order to achieve a closer agreement between estimated and observed fluxes. Best estimates were obtained for the fluxes of temperature and water vapour and it was found that the flux estimates of O₃, SO₂ and CO₂ correlated better with water vapour than with temperature. For these trace gases the flux‐variance method yielded estimates of dry deposition velocities that were either comparable with or larger than those obtained from a resistance analogue model. Both methods yielded values that overestimated the observed dry deposition velocities. The employment of the flux‐variance method in an operational network would require the use of fast‐response sensors and a practical method for reducing the noise level of the measured variances.     

Coherent eddies and turbulence in vegetation canopies: The mixing-layer analogy

This paper argues that the active turbulence and coherent motions near the top of a vegetation canopy are patterned on a plane mixing layer, because of instabilities associated with the characteristic strong inflection in the mean velocity profile. Mixing-layer turbulence, formed around the inflectional mean velocity profile which develops between two coflowing streams of different velocities, differs in several ways from turbulence in a surface layer. Through these differences, the mixing-layer analogy provides an explanation for many of the observed distinctive features of canopy turbulence. These include: (a) ratios between components of the Reynolds stress tensor; (b) the ratio K _H/K _M of the eddy diffusivities for heat and momentum; (c) the relative roles of ejections and sweeps; (d) the behaviour of the turbulent energy balance, particularly the major role of turbulent transport; and (e) the behaviour of the turbulent length scales of the active coherent motions (the dominant eddies responsible for vertical transfer near the top of the canopy). It is predicted that these length scales are controlled by the shear length scale % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaamitamaaBa% aaleaacaWGtbaabeaakiabg2da9iaadwfacaGGOaGaamiAaiaacMca% caGGVaGabmyvayaafaGaaiikaiaadIgacaGGPaaaaa!3FD0!\[L_S = U(h)/U'(h)\] (where h is canopy height, U(z) is mean velocity as a function of height z, and % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGabmyvayaafa% Gaeyypa0JaaeizaiaadwfacaGGVaGaaeizaiaadQhaaaa!3C32!\[U' = {\rm{d}}U/{\rm{d}}z\]). In particular, the streamwise spacing of the dominant canopy eddies is _x = mL _s, with m = 8.1. These predictions are tested against many sets of field and wind-tunnel data. We propose a picture of canopy turbulence in which eddies associated with inflectional instabilities are modulated by larger-scale, inactive turbulence, which is quasi-horizontal on the scale of the canopy.     

Minor Constituent Concentrations Measured from a High Altitude Aircraft Using High Resolution Far-Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Far-infrared emission spectroscopy has beendemonstrated to be a valuable method for remotesensing of trace species in the stratosphere, with theability to simultaneously detect a number of keychemical species. SAFIRE-A is a new far-infraredFourier Transform (FT) spectrometer which has beenspecifically designed to operate on board of a highaltitude aircraft in the lower stratosphere and uppertroposphere regions where relatively few remotesensing measurements have been made. Using newtechnology, the sensitivity of the FT spectrometermethod has been substantially improved for the longwavelength region. Results are reported formeasurements of O₃, HNO₃ and N₂O at 17and 19 km using a detection window near 23 cm^-1.Geographical and altitude variability of the volumemixing ratio of these constituents and their relativecorrelation are discussed. Ozone measurements agreewell with in situ measurements, except in regions ofstrong stirring and mixing associated with deformationof the northern vortex edge. Whilst SAFIREmeasurements of trace gases do not capture all of thelocal variability seen by rapid in-situ techniques,they can indicate horizontal variability close to, butnot intercepted by, the aircraft's flight path. Apossible detection of ClO at the low background levelsexpected outside the polar vortex is also reported.     

A Case Study of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CO and Particles Content Evolution in the Suburban Atmospheric Boundary Layer Using a 2-μm Doppler DIAL,a 1-μm Backscatter Lidar and an Array of In-situ Sensors

A network of remote and in-situ sensors was deployed in a Paris suburb in order to evaluate the mesoscale evolution of the daily cycle of CO₂ and related tracers in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and its relation to ABL dynamics and nearby natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks. A 2-μm heterodyne Doppler differential absorption lidar, which combines measurements of, (1) structure of the atmosphere, (2) radial velocity, and (3) CO₂ differential absorption was a particularly unique element of the observational array. We analyse the differences in the diurnal cycle of CO, CO₂, lidar reflectivity (a proxy for aerosol content) and H₂O using the lidar, airborne measurements in the free troposphere and ground-based measurements made at two sites located few kilometres apart. We demonstrate that vertical mixing dominates the early morning drawdown of CO and aerosol content trapped in the former nocturnal layer but not the H₂O and CO₂ mixing ratio variations. Surface fluxes, vertical mixing and advection all contribute to the ABL CO₂ mixing ratio decrease during the morning transition, with the relative importance depending on the rate and timing of ABL rise. We also show evidence that when the ABL is stable, small-scale (0.1-km vertical and 1-km horizontal) gradients of CO₂ and CO are large. The results illustrate the complexity of inferring surface fluxes of CO₂ from atmospheric budgets in the stable boundary layer.     

Aerodynamic Scaling for Estimating the Mean Height of Dense Canopies

We used an aerodynamic method to objectively determine a representative canopy height, using standard meteorological measurements. The canopy height may change if the tree height is used to represent the actual canopy, but little work to date has focused on creating a standard for determining the representative canopy height. Here we propose the ‘aerodynamic canopy height’ h _a as the most effective means of resolving the representative canopy height for all forests. We determined h _a by simple linear regression between zero-plane displacement d and roughness length z ₀, without the need for stand inventory data. The applicability of h _a was confirmed in five different forests, including a forest with a complex canopy structure. Comparison with stand inventory data showed that h _a was almost equivalent to the representative height of trees composing the crown surface if the forest had a simple structure, or to the representative height of taller trees composing the upper canopy in forests with a complex canopy structure. The linear relationship between d and z ₀ was explained by assuming that the logarithmic wind profile above the canopy and the exponential wind profile within the canopy were continuous and smooth at canopy height. This was supported by observations, which showed that h _a was essentially the same as the height defined by the inflection point of the vertical profile of wind speed. The applicability of h _a was also verified using data from several previous studies.     

An integrated model for the assessment of the greenhouse effect: The Dutch approach

This paper describes a simulation policy model of the combined greenhouse effects of trace gases. With this model, the Integrated Model for the Assessment of the Greenhouse Effect (IMAGE) scenarios for the future impact of the greenhouse effect can be made, based on different assumptions for technological and socio-economic developments. The contribution of each trace gas can be estimated separately.Basically the model, consisting of a number of coupled modules, gives policy makers a concise overview of the problem and enables them to evaluate the impact of different strategies. Because the model covers the complete cause-effect relationship it can be utilized to derive allowable emission rates for the different trace gases from set effect related targets. Regular demonstration sessions with the simulation model have proven the importance of such science based integrated models for policy development.Four different scenarios are worked out for the most important trace gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, CFC-11 and CFC-12). One of these scenarios can be regarded as a growth scenario unrestricted by environmental concerns. The others are based on different strategic policies. After the simulation of future trace gas concentrations global equilibrium temperature increases are computed. Finally the sea level rise, the most threatening effect of the greenhouse problem for the Netherlands, is estimated.Simulation results so far emphasize the importance of trace gases other than CO₂. The Montreal Protocol on reduction of CFC is found to stabilize the relative contribution of these substances to the greenhouse effect.