Determining the optimal soil temperature scheme for atmospheric modelling applications

The treatment of the land surface can have a significant impact on the performance of atmospheric models, influencing the surface energy balance and near surface atmospheric variables. In numerical weather prediction models it is especially important to reproduce the observed diurnal cycle in screen-level temperature, which requires an accurate representation of the surface temperature, and therefore an accurate and computationally efficient representation of soil heat storage and transfer. We present a technique for analysing the accuracy of numerical soil temperature schemes, and a methodology for choosing the optimal layer thicknesses for schemes with a given number of layers. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that first generation land surface schemes, which typically used a layer-average surface temperature, may be more accurate in this respect than the latest land surface schemes, which tend to use a skin surface temperature boundary condition.The British Crowns right to retain a non-exclusive royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

On Transpiration and Soil Moisture Content Sensitivity to Soil Hydrophysical Data

Sensitivity of evapotranspiration E and root zone soil moisture content θ to the parameterization of soil water retention Ψ(θ) and soil water conductivity K(Ψ), as well as to the definition of field capacity soil moisture content, is investigated by comparing Psi1-PMSURF and Theta-PMSURF models. The core of PMSURF (Penman–Monteith Surface Fluxes) consists of a 3-layer soil moisture prediction module based on Richard’s equation in combination with the Penman–Monteith concept for estimating turbulent heat fluxes. Psi1- PMSURF and Theta-PMSURF differ only in the parameterization of the moisture availability function F_ma. In Psi1,F_ma is parameterized by using Ψ(θ) and K(Ψ) hydrophysical functions; in Theta, F_ma is parameterized by using hydrophysical parameters: the field capacity θ_f and wilting point θ_w soil moisture contents. Both Psi1 and Theta are based on using soil hydrophysical data, that is, there is no conceptual difference between them in the parameterization of E even if in Psi1F_ma depends on 12 parameters, while in Theta only on two soil/vegetation parameters. Sensitivity tests are performed using the Cabauw dataset. Three soil datasets are used: the vG (van Genuchten), CH/vG (Clapp and Hornberger/van Genuchten) and CH/PILPS (Clapp and Hornberger/Project for Intercomparison of Land-surface Parameterization Schemes) datasets. The vG dataset is used in van Genuchten’s parameterization, while in Clapp and Hornberger’s the CH/vG and CH/PILPS datasets are used. It is found that the consistency of soil hydrophysical data in the simulation of transpiration is quite important. The annual sum of E obtained by Psi1E^Psi1, differs from the annual sum of E obtained by Theta, E^Theta, because of the inconsistency between the fitting parameters of Ψ(θ) and K(Ψ) and the θ_f, and not because of the differencies in the parameterization of F_ma. Further, θ_f can be estimated not only on the basis of using soil hydrophysical functions (the θ_f so obtained is θ^Soil_f) but also on the basis of analysing the transpiration process (the θ_fso obtained is θ^tr_f). θ^tr_f values estimated from the condition E^Theta ≈ E^Psi1 are in acceptable accordance with the θ^Soil_f values proposed by Wösten and co-workers. The results are useful in optimizing the parameterization of transpiration in land-surface schemes.     

STUDY ON THE DYNAMIC PROCESS OF RILL EROSION OF LOESS SLOPE SURFACE

1 mTRODUCTIONAs a woridwide concem, excessive water erosion induces land degradation, causes losses of plantnutrients, and Ieads to off site enVironmental problems such as sedimentahon streams and reservoirs. mllerosion, which results from concentraed flow in a lindted and confined space, plays imPortant roles inthe erosion systCm on uPland areas. Data listed in Table l show its contribution and imPoftance to thetOtal slope soil losses. In the last decades, stodies on the physical mecha…     

SEDIMENT DAMAGES AND RECENT TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES

lINTRODUCTIONWeoftenhavethepercepti0nthatsedimentisthebr0wnishoryell0wishcoloringinrunoffwater,thatlooksunpleasant,buteventually"g0esaway,"downstream,unseen.Butsedimentisn0tonlyaestheticallyunpleasant,itisalsoacarrierofpotentialchemicalc0ntaminants,fillsupwaterb0dies,andcausesphysicaldamaget0farmland,wildlife,andwatertreatmentsystemsandpowergenefat0rs.ThepurposeofthispaPeristoprovidean0verallperspectiveonthemagnitudeandtrendsofsedimelltasap0llutritintheUnitedStates.2CURRENTKNOWLEDG…     

气候变化对中国农业生产的影响

根据１９５８￣１９９７年中国３１０个气象站的月平均最高、最低气温,月平均降水量,日照时数等气象参数分析了中国气候的背影特征。用３个大气环流模型,即ＨａｄＣＭ２、ＣＧＣＭ１、ＥＣＨＡＭ４来模拟未来中国气候变化的情景。同时,建立未来气候变化的６种方案。最后,根据３个ＧＣＭｓ模拟的结果,利用国际应用系统分析研究所（ＩＩＡＳＡ）发展并改进的农业生态地带模型（ＡＥＺ）评估气候变化对中国农业生产的影响。评估主     

利用NOAA/AVHRR监测青海省草地生产力变化的研究

青海省地处青藏高原，生态环境脆弱。近20年来，由于气候变化和人类活动的共同影响，生态环境，特别是草地资源发生了较大的变化。利用美国地球资源观测系统数据中心探路者数据库(Pathfinder Data Sets)1981-1999年间的NOAA／AVHRR NDVI资料序列，分析了青海省近20年来草地生产力变化的时间特征及地区差异性。     

淮河流域冬春季土壤温湿度异常对夏季降水的影响及其应用的研究

夏季降水异常与前期环流、下垫面异常有密切的关系 ,文中重点研究了淮河流域前期下垫土壤温、湿度异常对夏季降水的影响。提出了一种动力与统计相结合寻找影响降水的因子的方法 ,通过将大气中的热量、水汽收支方程与一个简化的两层土壤温度、湿度方程相结合 ,并依据月尺度大气环流的演变特征 ,推导出月降水距平与 5 0 0hPa月平均高度距平场、土壤深浅两层温、湿度的关系 ;并利用台站观测资料 ,使用统计反演方法确定方程中各项的系数和量级 ,从而找出影响降水的主要土壤温、湿度因子 ;利用统计方法建立这些因子与淮河流域夏季降水异常之间的简单线性预报方程 ,并对 1982～ 2 0 0 0年淮河流域夏季降水趋势进行回报 ,结果表明 :对淮河流域夏季降水趋势的预测有很好的效果 ,且更加明确了土壤温、湿度因子与降水异常之间的动力学联系。     

原子荧光光度法测定土壤样品中砷的不确定度评定

通过原子荧光光度法对土壤样品中砷重复测定6次，计算实验标准差，同时对测试过程系统效应产生的不确定度分量进行评估，从而评定其不确定度。     

Quantitative estimation of skin soil moisture with the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager

A physically based retrieval scheme is described toinfer near surface moisture content of bare soilpatches from time series of the Special SensorMicrowave/Imager (SSM/I) Polarisation DifferenceTemperature (PDT) at 19.35 GHz. The PDT is modelled asa function of soil moisture using Fresnel's relationsfor specular reflection at the air-soil boundary,together with a dielectric mixing model for themoisture-dependent soil dielectric constant. Theproblem of the specification of parameters describingatmospheric and soil roughness effects is avoided byconsidering temporal variations of the PDT. Theretrieval method is applied to the FIFE site for atwo-week period in summer, during which heavy rainfalloccurred on a dry upper soil. Although differences insensing depths made a rigorous validation impossible,remotely sensed soil moisture showed a high degree ofconsistency with ground measurements. An erroranalysis shows that the method is capable of providingan accuracy of approximately 20% of moisture contentat field capacity. Finally, it is demonstrated thatthe method is relatively insensitive to soil texturalcharacteristics when moisture content is scaled withfield capacity.     

Understanding the effect of a static driving shear stress on the liquefaction resistance of medium dense granular soils

The influence of a driving static shear stress on the liquefaction resistance of medium dense granular soils is investigated. A laboratory study of the behavior of five sands (percentage of silt varying between 2 and 42%, and D₅₀ varying between 0.55 and 0.09 mm) was undertaken. These five sands were sampled from the foundations of two dams in Quebec (Canada). Sixty cyclic direct simple shear (DSS) tests were performed with and without a driving static shear stress. Relative densities D_r varied between 60 and 70%, and static shear stress ratios =τ_st/σ′_vc varied between 0.2 and 0.6. The presence of static shear stress increased the cyclic strength of these soils. A relation between and K() factor giving the effect of preshearing on cyclic shear resistance is obtained. The mechanical competence is examined as a function of D₅₀ and percentage of fines. The observed dilatancy yielded rather cyclic mobility than liquefaction.