Intercomparison of Sensible Heat Flux from Large Aperture Scintillometer and Eddy Covariance Methods: Field Experiment over a Homogeneous Semi-arid Region

Scintillometers are becoming increasingly popular for the validation of satellite remote sensing sensible heat-flux estimates due to the comparable spatial resolutions. However, it is important to gain confidence in the accuracy of the sensible heat-flux measurements obtained by the scintillometer. Large aperture scintillometer (LAS) and eddy-covariance (EC) measurements were collected over a homogeneous, dry and semi-arid region near Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, where the homogeneity allowed direct comparison of the two instruments despite their differences in footprint sizes. The differences between the sensible heat-flux measured by both LAS and EC systems fall within the differences between two EC systems. We conclude that the large aperture scintillometer is a reliable system for measuring sensible heat flux in a dry semiarid region.     

Estimation of Sensible Heat Flux from Surface Temperature Wave and One-Time-of-Day Air Temperature Observation

By means of the algorithm presented here, the temporal course H(t) and the daily mean H¯ of the sensible heat flux H can be estimated from measurements of the thermodynamic surface temperature (as a function of time) and from a one-time-of-day air temperature observation. In addition to these temperatures, one needs estimates for daily mean wind speed, for the roughness lengths of momentum and heat transfer, and for the displacement height. First, a quite general solution of the equation for heat conductance (equation for the vertical profile of potential temperature (z,t)) in the dynamic sublayer will be presented. The undetermined parameters in this solution will be defined with the aid of the above mentioned measurements. The influence of horizontal advection will be taken into account. After that, the sensible heat flux can be evaluated from the temperature difference between surface and air with the well known resistance formulae. In this paper the algorithm is derived for areas with homogeneous surfaces, i.e., with uniform surface temperatures. Finally, the method will be verified by measurements taken during the field campaigns HIBE 89 (Hildesheimer Börde in Germany) and EFEDA 91 (Spain). The root mean square errors (RMSE) for the comparison between measurement and model with regard to the temperature difference of surface and air amount to one or two degrees Kelvin, and the error of H¯ reaches 10 to 25 per cent. The method can be used to determine the sensible heat flux from measurements of surface temperatures by satellites (e.g., METEOSAT), but can also be applied to ground based measurements. For instance, horizontal temperature advection can be estimated from measurements at a single location, especially if more than one near-surface air temperature is available. The procedure can be generalized for larger areas, which consist of various surface types with different surface temperatures. This generalization of the algorithm is in progress and will be addressed in a subsequent paper. It will allow us to improve the estimates for H(t) by means of temperature measurements from, e.g., NOAA/AVHRR or LANDSAT/TM, taking into account the heterogeneity of the area that is contained in one METEOSAT pixel.     

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.     

Integrated Sensible Heat Flux Measurements of a Two-Surface Composite Landscape using Scintillometry

The potential of the LAS (large aperture scintillometry) method for measuring sensible heat flux (H) directly integrated over a two-field composite surface is evaluated. We describe a field experiment performed within the Alpilles/ReSeDa project in the south-east of France over a composite surface made up of wheat and bare soil (451 and 216 m long respectively) using two 0.15-m diameter scintillometers mounted at heights of 2.05 and 4.54 m. When compared against reference values obtained by the eddy correlation technique, LAS-measured sensible heat flux reveals a systematic overestimation of about 10%. A simple model describing the integration of the scintillometer signal along the beam for a two-field composite surface is described. A simulation of the experiment confirms that the bias observed isrelated to non-linearities in the integration process in relation with thebell-shape sensitivity curve of the instrument to the structure parameter for the refractive index it measures. The model is used to test the sensitivity of the LAS-derived H values to the composition of the pathlength (ratio of both surfaces) and to the contrast in sensible heat flux and roughness length between the two fields. Sensitivity tests to the aggregation scheme for roughness length (two of them are tested) and to the measurement height are also presented. The composition of the surface in combination with the contrast in sensible heat flux (in direct relation with the contrast in latent heat flux) explains most of the bias, with possible deviations ranging from -50 up to 80 W m^-2. A tentative semi-empirical method for correcting the bias is suggested, which only requires a crude estimate of the contrast in component sensible heat fluxes along the pathlength.     

Determination of Area-Averaged Sensible Heat Fluxes with a Large Aperture Scintillometer over a Heterogeneous Surface – Flevoland Field Experiment

To test the applicability of the scintillation method over a heterogeneous area an experiment was carried out in the summer of 1998 in Flevoland (The Netherlands). In the patchy area only four crops were grown namely sugar beet, potatoes, wheat and onions. From eddy covariance measurements it was found that the heterogeneity was mainly caused by differences in thermal properties. No variations in the aerodynamics roughness length were observed. Two large aperture scintillometers were installed at a height of 11.6 and 20.4 m. A good resemblance was found between the sensible heat fluxes derived from both LAS instruments and the area-averaged fluxes obtained from the in-situ eddy covariance measurements. The slight underestimation of the lower LAS could be assessed using a blending height model and an analytical footprint model. The results also indicated that when scintillometer measurements are made below the blending height the violation to Monin–Obukhov Similarity Theory is small and that reasonable fluxes can be obtained from path-averaged structure parameters.     

北亚洲大陆冬季地表感热通量对我国江淮梅雨的影响

利用1979—2008年NCEPⅡ月平均地表感热通量再分析资料、江苏省气象台整编的江淮出入梅日期和全国753个测站逐日降水资料,分析了亚洲北部(60°～135°E,32°～75°N,简称北亚洲)大陆冬季地表感热通量对我国江淮梅雨的影响及其可能机制。结果表明,北亚洲大陆地表在冬季总体为感热冷源,对大气起到强冷却作用。通过定义WSH指数来表征北亚洲大陆冬季地表感热冷源的强度,该指数值越小,冷源越强;反之,冷源越弱。当冬季北亚洲大陆地表感热冷源偏强时,夏季梅雨锋北侧的冷空气强度大范围加强,东北冷涡增强,且冷空气向南输送增强;7月高空副热带西风急流位置偏南,南亚高压呈青藏高压型;江淮流域上升运动增强,且该流域上空高层变干、低层变湿,大气层结的不稳定度增加,对流活动增强,有利于梅雨降水,出梅偏晚。冬季地表感热冷源偏弱时,情况则相反。因此,冬季北亚洲大陆地表感热通量的异常对汛期江淮梅雨的预测具有一定的指示意义。     

Area-Averaged Sensible Heat Flux and a New Method to Determine Zero-Plane Displacement Length over an Urban Surface using Scintillometry

Field observations of area-averagedturbulence characteristics were conducted in a densely built-up residential neighbourhood in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to eddy-correlation (EC) sensors a scintillometer was used for the first time in a city. Significant results include: (1) Scintillometer-derived sensible heat fluxes, Q_H, obtained at a height 3.5 times the building height agree well with those using the EC technique; (2) source areas for the scintillometer fluxes are larger than for the EC sensors, so that at low heights over inhomogeneous terrain scintillometry offers advantages; (3) new similarity relationships for dissipation rates are proposed for urban areas; (4) a new technique that uses simultaneous scintillation measurements at two heights to directly estimate area-averaged zero-plane displacement height, z_d, is proposed. z_d estimated in this way depends slightly on atmospheric stability (lower z_d under more unstable conditions).     

一次沙尘暴过程锋生函数和地表热通量的数值诊断

沙尘暴是我国西北地区春季常发生的一种灾害性天气现象。本文利用国家气象中心改进的PSU／NCAR的非静力中尺度模式MM5，对1995年5月16日我国西北地区发生的一次沙尘暴天气个例进行了锋生函数和地表热通量的诊断分析。结果表明，沙尘暴过程是冷锋在移至我国西北地区时产生的一种强烈锋生过程；地表感热通量明显大于地表潜热通量；有无地面热通量对比试验表明，热力因子在沙尘暴产生过程中具有重要作用。     

Measurement of the Sensible Eddy Heat Flux Based on Spatial Averaging of Continuous Ground-Based Observations

Using the standard eddy-covariance (EC) method to quantify mass and energy exchange at a single location usually results in an underestimation of vertical eddy fluxes at the surface. In order to better understand the reasons for this underestimation, an experimental set-up is presented that is based on spatial averaging of air temperature data from a network of ground-based sensors over agricultural land. For eight days during the 34-day observational period in May and June 2007, additional contributions to the sensible heat flux of more than 50Wm⁻² were measured in the lower surface layer by applying the spatial EC method as opposed to the standard temporal EC method. Smaller but still significant additional sensible heat fluxes were detected for four more days. The additional energy is probably transported in organised convective structures resulting in a mean vertical wind velocity unequal to zero at the tower location. The results show that convective transport contributes significantly to the surface energy budget for measurement heights as low as 2–3 m. Since these structures may be quasi-stationary, they can hardly be captured by a single-location measurement. The spatial EC set-up presented here is capable of quantifying contributions to the sensible heat flux from structures up to the scale of our spatial sensor network, which covered an area 3.5 × 3.5 km. For future experiments aiming at closing the energy balance, the spatial EC method should be employed to measure both the sensible and latent heat fluxes. Experimental determination of the horizontal advection of sensible and latent heat should also be considered, since such transport must occur due to convergence and divergence related to convection.     

基于多种资料的青藏高原地表感热的对比分析

青藏高原地表感热通量是高原热源的主要分量之一,对高原局地天气系统、我国天气气候以及亚洲季风等都有着重要影响。选取1980～2016年青藏高原的站点资料和ERA-Interim、NCEP1、NCEP2再分析资料,计算高原地表感热通量的分布状况和时间变化特征并对不同资料得到的结果进行比较分析,结果表明:4种资料在夏季的空间分布、年际变化,高原中部的年际变化,以及长期变化趋势上具有较好的一致性,其中ERA-Interim感热资料较优于其他两种再分析资料。青藏高原的地表感热通量分布呈西高东低的特征,年均最大值出现在柴达木盆地,最小值位于贡山;区域平均值春季最大,冬季最小。感热逐月变化呈单峰型分布,不同分区的年际变化均在2001年或2003年由减弱趋势转变为增强趋势。      

卫星遥感结合气象资料计算的青藏高原地面感热特征分析

本文选取1981年7月至2012年12月美国国家航空和航天局（NASA）制作的归一化的动态植被指数（NDVI）资料、根据NDVI值计算地表热力输送系数（C_H）的参数化关系式（C_H-I_NDV）和青藏高原70个常规气象观测资料,计算了青藏高原全区的逐月地表热力输送系数（C_H）,讨论了其时空分布特征,并在此基础上计算了高原70个常规台站的感热通量（SSHF）序列,并与已有感热资料进行了对比。随后,探讨了地面感热通量的气候特征及其年际变化与气候因子的关系。结果表明:高原地区的C_H值具有明显的空间差异和季节差异,表现为东高西低、夏季大、冬季小的特点。感热的年际变化在冬季主要响应于地气温差的变化,夏季则受地面风速影响较大;由于风速减小趋缓,地气温差增大,变化趋势在2003年前后由减弱趋势转变为增强趋势,这种趋势的转变最早发生在2001年秋季,且在高原全区具有较好的一致性。     

关于用台站资料估算西北干旱区夏季感热通量的热力参数化比较

气象台站观测的气象要素可能受城市化等因子的影响而与野外试验站的观测存在一定的差异,这影响野外试验获取的热力参数直接应用于西北干旱区台站感热通量的估算。本文选取了一些常用的热力参数化方案(包括Z10、B82、Z98、Y08和Z12等方案),通过敦煌站夏季估算的感热通量与野外观测的比较以及对整个西北干旱区夏季感热通量的估算,评价了这些热力参数化对动量粗糙度的敏感性和在西北干旱区的适用性。结果显示,热力输送系数取定值的方案计算西北干旱区的感热通量可能存在较大不确定;台站的动量粗糙度可能受城市化等因子的影响,但在感热通量计算时建议取台站下垫面的动量粗糙度;Y08方案估算的感热通量相对比较合理,可以用来研究西北干旱区的夏季地表感热输送特征。     

基于敦煌戈壁站观测对几套再分析产品夏季地表感热通量的评估

西北干旱区是欧亚大陆夏季感热输送的高值区,此区域感热输送对东亚季风气候系统的变异有重要影响。然而,再分析资料的感热通量在此区域存在很大的不确定性,影响该地区感热变化对东亚区域气候影响的认识。本文基于敦煌戈壁站2001~2014年夏季的观测数据,评估了NCEP/NCAR、NCEP/DOE、ERA-Interim和JRA-55这4套再分析产品的感热通量。敦煌戈壁站的感热通量是根据敦煌戈壁站常规观测数据和Y08方案计算得到,代表敦煌戈壁站的实际感热。结果显示,戈壁站夏季感热多年平均约为85.7 W m-2,但受局地降水的影响存在较大的波动;再分析资料的感热通量之间存在很大的不确定性,与观测相比,ERA-Interim的感热通量在大小和变化上好于其他再分析资料,在没有局地性降水的影响时比较接近观测。进一步分析了再分析感热与观测差异的原因。研究表明,再分析资料中的地表风速和地气温差与粗糙度设置和热力参数化方案相关联。各再分析资料均不同程度地低估了敦煌戈壁站的地气温差(观测值约6.5°C),这主要是由于再分析系统中对戈壁下垫面的粗糙度设置偏高以及热力参数化方案不太适用于戈壁下垫面造成的。相对而言,ERA-Interim的参数化方案在戈壁下垫面优于其他再分析产品的参数化方案,使得ERA-Interim的地气温差相对其他再分析资料更接近实际观测,感热通量较为合理。     

变分方法估算西北半干旱区地表热通量的适用性研究

利用2009年6-8月兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站(SACOL)的地表辐射观测资料,近地层大气温度、湿度和水平风速的三层梯度观测资料,以及热通量的涡动相关观测,比较了变分法估算的地表热通量与涡动相关观测值间差异,评估了不同相似函数对变分法估算地表热通量的影响.结果表明,变分法估算的地表热通量在时间变化趋势上与涡动相关观测值一致,但在中午前后时段还存在数值大小差异.不同相似函数对变分法估算热通量的影响不一样:当层结不稳定时,其对热通量估算的影响较大;当层结不稳定变弱时,影响会显著变小;当层结稳定时,影响非常小,与观测误差相比可以忽略.     

Monitoring the Sensible Heat Flux over Urban Areas using Large Aperture Scintillometry: Case Study of Marseille City During the Escompte Experiment

Abtract Sensible heat flux estimated by Large Aperture Scintillometry (LAS) has been tested against the more traditional eddy covariance technique over Marseille city centre, a reasonably homogeneous surface. Over the 3 week test period fluxes were found to be similar, yet less noisy for the LAS due to the spatial integration. No systematic bias between the estimates was found as a function of wind direction, indicating the homogeneity of the site. Sensitivity analysis of the required aerodynamic parameters shows that careful attention must be paid to the displacement height along the measurement path. Spatial variability of surface sensible heat flux is studied via a second LAS measurement path over the city.     

中亚感热异常对我国西北温度、 降水的影响

利用1954-2004年NCEP/NCAR月平均再分析感热资料和我国西北地区31个测站温度、降水资料,采用SVD分析方法,分析了中亚感热场与我国西北地区温度、降水场的关系.分析表明:(1)4～9月的中亚感热与来年我国西北地区1月的温度呈显著的负相关.(2)5～7月中亚感热主要影响我国西北的新疆大部、甘肃、宁夏、陕西等地区来年1月的温度.(3)5～6月、7～9月、10～12月中亚感热分别影响我国西北7月、10月和来年2～3月降水.(4)5～6月中亚感热与7月我国西北的甘肃中南部、新疆东南部和阿勒泰地区的降水呈负相关关系.     

卫星遥感结合气象资料计算的西北干旱区地面感热特征分析

选取1981年7月-2006年12月美国国家海洋和大气局(NOAA)系列卫星观测的归一化植被指数(NDVI)资料和Ch-INDV参数化关系式,计算了我国西北干旱区84个测站历年各月的地表热力输送系数Ch值和地面感热通量序列,得到如下主要结论:(1)西北干旱区地面感热通量实际计算值与ERA-40再分析感热资料相比,两者在数值大小、分布形势和年际变化趋势上均较一致,感热实际计算值的空间分布更明显地突出了各气象站所在区域的局地特征。(2)西北干旱区地面感热输送呈单峰型年变化特征,春、夏季非常强,秋、冬季较弱;大部分区域全年均为正值,地表为感热源。(3)以97.5°E为界,西北干旱区东、西部具有不同的年际变化趋势,东部的地面感热四季均有逐年增加的趋势,而西部秋、冬季逐年略有增加,春、夏季逐年减弱明显,气候倾向率分别为-1.15 W.m-2.(10a)-1和-2.08W.m-2.(10a)-1。(4)西北干旱区地面感热输送具有明显的年代际变化特征,1980年代总体偏强,1990年代总体偏弱,2000年以来,西北地区中部的感热输送偏弱,东、西部除个别测站外均偏强。(5)西北干旱区的感热变化并不只由地气温差的变化来决定,它与地面风速和地表状况的变化也有较强的依赖关系。在冬季,主要响应地气温差的变化,春季地面风速和地气温差的影响作用同等重要,夏季以地面风速的影响为主,地气温差的影响次之,秋季与夏季相反。另外,夏季地表状况对感热的影响作用也不容忽视。