Advances in carbon flux observation and research in Asia

As an important component of FLUXNET, Asia is increasingly becoming the hotspot in global carbon research for its vast territory, complex climate type and vegetation diversity. The present three regional flux observation networks in Asia (i.e. AsiaFlux, KoFlux and ChinaFLUX)have 54 flux observation sites altogether, covering tropic rainforest, evergreen broad-leaved forest, broad-leaved and coniferous mixed forest, shrubland, grassland, alpine meadow and cropland ecosystems with a latitudinal distribution from 2°N to 63°N. Long-term and continuous fluxes of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy between the biosphere and atmosphere are mainly measured with eddy covariance technique to (1) quantify and compare the carbon, water and energy budgets across diverse ecosystems; (2) quantify the environmental and biotic controlling mechanism on ecosystem carbon, water and energy fluxes; (3) validate the soil-vegetation-atmosphere model; and (4) serve the integrated study of terrestrial ecosystem carbon and water cycle. Over the last decades, great advancements have been made in the theory and technology of flux measurement, ecosystem flux patterns, simulation and scale conversion by Asian flux community. The establishment of ChinaFLUX has greatly filled the gap of flux observation and research in Eurasia. To further promote the flux measurement and research,accelerate data sharing and improve the data quality, it is necessary to present a methodological system of flux estimation and evaluation over complex terrain and to develop the integrated research that combines the flux measurement, stable isotope measurement, remote sensing observation and GIS technique. It also requires the establishment of the Joint Committee of Asian Flux Network in the Asia-Pacific region in order to promote the cooperation and communication of ideas and data by supporting project scientists, workshops and visiting scientists.     

Eddy flux corrections for CO2 exchange in broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest of Changbai Mountains

Based on analysis of mechanisms causing energy no-closure and nocturnal low fluxes issues for CO2 exchange studies by eddy covariance method, corrections were done with the raw data sets obtained from Changbai Mountains forest flux site, to evaluate the impacts of sonic anemometer tilt, frequency response limitations and advection on estimation of CO2 exchange, respectively. The results show that the planar fit coordinate transforming method is superior to the streamline coordinate transforming method in tilt correction. The latter could cause a systematical underestimation of eddy fluxes relating with the angle of sensor and terrain tilt. The underestimation of CO2 and energy fluxes for frequency response limitations average 3.0% and 2.0% during daytime, respectively, which increase by 9.0% and 5.5% during nighttime, respectively. The corrections of frequency response limitations are closely related to atmospheric stability. The advection loss of CO2 fluxes is dominated by nocturnal vertical advection, which is at least 18% when the horizontal advection is neglected. It is suggested that more work be done to understand the characteristics of horizontal advection and turbulent eddies under a complexcircumstance.     

On the colocation iterative solution model and algorithm for gravity anomaly

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A method to correct eddy covariance flux underestimates under an advective environment for arid or semi-arid regions

Water scarcity is one of the main factors limiting agricultural development in arid or semi-arid areas. Accurate Evapotranspiration (ET) observations and estimations are crucial in water cycle studies to estimate water losses from the terrestrial surfaces to the atmosphere to close the regional water budget. The eddy covariance (EC) method is an important technique measure ET and other land surface energy fluxes. However, the underestimation of energy fluxes and the problem of EC energy balance non-closure are far from solved. In this study, a new method is proposed to account for advection in order to correct EC data under advective environments. This advection based method was applied to data from Bushland, TX, which is subject to dry air and strong winds. Observations from two identical EC systems as well as two precision monolithic weighing lysimeters were used in this analysis. Both EC sites showed significant underestimates of evapotranspiration (ET) compared with lysimeter measurements. The daily energy balance closure for NE01 and SE02 sites were 0.78 and 0.74 respectively. The advection correction method provided improved performance in daytime, and it is more suitable for ET estimate than forcing closure under the advective environment. For nighttime, two methods (NCM1 and NCM2) were proposed to correct EC underestimates. Finally, all the corrected ET values were compared with the lysimeter measurements. For NE01 site, the MAD (mean absolute deviation) and the RMSD (root mean square deviation) were 47.72 W/m² and 67.66 W/m², respectively; and the r² (coefficient of determination) was 0.85. For SE02 site, the MAD and RMSD were 30.59 W/m² and 44.43 W/m²; and the r² was 0.93. The statistical measures illustrated that the proposed methods are functional and appropriate under an advective environment. The accurate estimate of actual evapotranspiration will benefit both the strategic planning of optimal water uses and the improved understanding the environmental and hydrological processes.     

Inter‐annual variations and factors controlling evapotranspiration in a temperate Japanese cypress forest

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of climatic variability on inter‐annual variations in each component of evapotranspiration (ET) and the total ET in a temperate coniferous forest in Japan. We conducted eddy covariance flux and meteorological measurements for 7 years and parameterized a one‐dimensional multi‐layer biosphere‐atmosphere model (Kosugi et al., 2006 ) that partitions ET to transpiration (Tr), wet‐canopy evaporation (E_wet), and soil evaporation (E_soil). The model was validated with the observed flux data. Using the model, the components of ET were estimated for the 7 years. Annual precipitation, ET, Tr, E_wet, and E_soil over the 7 years were 1536 ± 334 mm, 752 ± 29 mm, 425 ± 37 mm, 219 ± 34 mm, and 108 ± 10 mm, respectively. The maximum inter‐annual fluctuation of observed ET was 64 mm with a coefficient of variance (CV) of 2.7%, in contrast to relatively large year‐to‐year variations in annual rainfall (CV = 20.1%). Tr was related to the vapour pressure deficit, incoming radiation, and air temperature with relatively small inter‐annual variations (CV = 8.2%). E_soil (CV = 8.6%) was related mainly to the vapour pressure deficit. E_wet was related to precipitation with large inter‐annual variations (CV = 14.3%) because of the variability in precipitation. The variations in E_wet were counterbalanced by the variations in Tr and E_soil, producing the small inter‐annual variations in total ET. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GSI同化系统的背景误差协方差特征及对预报的影响

在同化系统中使用更合理的背景误差协方差对于得到更良好的同化效果至关重要。首先采用NMC方法针对中国区域构建更适合WRF-ARW区域预报系统的B矩阵,并对比分析了其与GSI同化系统预设的NCEP预报系统的B矩阵在分析变量间的平衡关系、分析控制变量的标准差、水平和垂直特征尺度等方面的特征差异。参照这些特征差异设计单点观测试验、背景误差协方差调优参数敏感性试验,确定针对中国区域构建B矩阵的最佳调优参数。并讨论其对一次季风低压强降水天气过程的循环同化和预报效果的影响。结果表明,采用最佳调优参数使用针对中国区域构建B矩阵的试验(Sen6)对V风分量场和相对湿度场的预报性能改进显著,同时也引出了GSI同化系统背景误差协方差参数调优(尤其是水平特征尺度参数调整)的两难问题。在此基础上,采用Hybrid同化方法使用针对中国区域构建B矩阵的循环同化试验(Hyb3)可以进一步改善预报效果,并在一定程度上修正个例模拟雨带的位置。     

多传感器估值融合理论在滑坡动态变形监测中的应用研究

在滑坡动态变形监测中一般会在滑坡体上布置多个传感器,以进行综合观测。目前的监测模型仅依靠某个关键点的数据进行评判分析,容易造成原始数据信息的流失,且以往的研究多集中于监测数据的整合,并未考虑传感器自身的因素,引起融合结果的不精确。为了克服以上不足,引入多传感器估值融合理论,选用误差均方差为评价指标,证明多源数据融合方法优于任意单一数据评价方法后,采用较高级的决策级融合方法,将其应用于西南某滑坡动态变形的监测分析,融合后的数据较为理想,消除了融合前数据的矛盾性和不准确性,获得了被测对象的一致性描述和解释。经分析知:该滑坡的整体位移随时间的增大而增大,且年均下滑速度也呈现上涨趋势,具有阶段性变化的特点。自监测之日起至今,由位移信息反映出该滑坡形变经历了以下4个不同的时期: 2006年7月至2007年9月的缓慢变形期; 2007年9月至2008年9月的匀速变形期; 2008年9月至2009年8月的加速变形期; 2009年8月至2010年2月的急剧变形期,这符合滑坡的工程特性依时性变化规律。另外, 2个不同时期的交接位置,大多发生在8月与9月间,这最主要是因为该时期当地的降雨量比较大,由此反映出降雨入渗是引起该滑坡发生位移变形的主要因素,亦符合滑坡的一般自然规律。同时证明了该方法在滑坡动态变形监测与分析中具有有效性和可行性。     

近岸海洋气象平台涡动相关数据处理与质量控制

涡动相关方法在海洋—大气界面通量过程的观测研究中得到广泛应用。通量观测的数据质量很大程度上取决于环境条件和订正方法的正确应用,因此需要对数据进行处理与质量控制。基于博贺海洋气象平台上方2层涡动相关系统约7个月的湍流观测数据,分析了目前未能在数据采集平台上实时运行的几种订正方法对通量结果的影响。分析表明：在通量值较小时,...     

Background Error Covariance Statistics of Hydrometeor Control Variables Based on Gaussian Transform

Use of data assimilation to initialize hydrometeors plays a vital role in numerical weather prediction(NWP).To directly analyze hydrometeors in data assimilation systems from cloud-sensitive observations,hydrometeor control variables are necessary.Common data assimilation systems theoretically require that the probability density functions(PDFs)of analysis,background,and observation errors should satisfy the Gaussian unbiased assumptions.In this study,a Gaussian transform method is proposed to transform hydrometeors to more Gaussian variables,which is modified from the Softmax function and renamed as Quasi-Softmax transform.The Quasi-Softmax transform method then is compared to the original hydrometeor mixing ratios and their logarithmic transform and Softmax transform.The spatial distribution,the non-Gaussian nature of the background errors,and the characteristics of the background errors of hydrometeors in each method are studied.Compared to the logarithmic and Softmax transform,the Quasi-Softmax method keeps the vertical distribution of the original hydrometeor mixing ratios to the greatest extent.The results of the D′Agostino test show that the hydrometeors transformed by the Quasi-Softmax method are more Gaussian when compared to the other methods.The Gaussian transform has been added to the control variable transform to estimate the background error covariances.Results show that the characteristics of the hydrometeor background errors are reasonable for the Quasi-Softmax method.The transformed hydrometeors using the Quasi-Softmax transform meet the Gaussian unbiased assumptions of the data assimilation system,and are promising control variables for data assimilation systems.     

Comparison of Different Generation Mechanisms of Free Convection between Two Stations on the Tibetan Plateau

Based on high-quality data from eddy covariance measurements at the Qomolangma Monitoring and Research Station for Atmosphere and Environment(QOMS) and the Southeast Tibet Monitoring and Research Station for Environment(SETS),near-ground free convection conditions(FCCs) and their characteristics are investigated. At QOMS, strong thermal effects accompanied by lower wind speeds can easily trigger the occurrence of FCCs. The change of circulation from prevailing katabatic glacier winds to prevailing upslope winds and the oscillation of upslope winds due to cloud cover are the two main causes of decreases in wind speed at QOMS. The analysis of results from SETS shows that the most important trigger mechanism of FCCs is strong solar heating. Turbulence structural analysis using wavelet transform indicates that lowerfrequency turbulence near the ground emerges from the detected FCCs both at QOMS and at SETS. It should be noted that the heterogeneous underlying surface at SETS creates large-scale turbulence during periods without the occurrence of FCCs. Regarding datasets of all seasons, the distribution of FCCs presents different characteristics during monsoonal and non-monsoonal periods.