Parameterization of Heat and Moisture Exchange on Land Surface in Areas with Moderate Continental Climate

A technique is proposed for parameterization of the process of heat and moisture exchange between the underlying surface and the atmosphere at a regional scale under moderate continental climate, which implies a long cold period with stable snow cover and seasonally frozen soil. The technique allows the heterogeneity of the area under consideration to be explicitly accounted for in the model through properly selecting the model grid. The details at a scale below the grid size, such as the presence of field or forest ecosystems in any grid cell, also can be incorporated in the model. The proposed technique has been tested against unique observational data along with published scientific generalization for the Polomet River basin (Valdai Hills), which is 1215 km² in area.