Vertical Profiles Of Air Temperature Research Articles

Comparing airborne and along-sidewall ground-based measurements to retrieve thermal and PM10 concentration profiles in two Alpine valleys

Abstract The paper aims at investigating the effectiveness of estimating vertical profiles of air temperature and PM10 concentrations in Alpine valleys through ground stations positioned at different altitudes on one valley sidewall (i.e. pseudo-vertical profiles). Two case studies in the Italian Alps are investigated: Chiese Valley in Trentino province and Camonica Valley in Lombardy region. Vertical profiles of temperature and PM10 concentrations were derived from airborne measurements at the center of the two valleys by means of low-cost sensors installed on a drone during summer 2019 and a tethered balloon during winter 2020. At the same time, five stations, equipped with the same kind of low-cost sensors, simultaneously monitored the same variables on one mountain slope. Comparisons between pseudo-profiles and airborne soundings revealed that ground stations well approximated temperature and PM10 soundings during the night and early morning, while temperatures along the slopes were higher than in the center of the valley during daytime, due to solar radiative heating, with larger differences in summer than in winter. On the contrary, some episodes with PM10 concentrations slightly higher in the valley center than on the slope were recorded, due to transport events and upslope winds. Nonetheless, the pseudo-profiles based on slope ground measurements faithfully reproduced the vertical gradients of both air temperature and PM10 if compared to those assessed from the soundings performed at the center of the two valleys. Results show that pseudo-vertical profiles can be a reliable and inexpensive method for continuous monitoring of vertical air temperature and PM10 distribution in mountain valleys.

Aerodynamic properties of boundary layers along the roof of a large banana screenhouse under near-neutral atmospheric stability

Cultivation under screens and in screenhouses protects the crops from insects and extreme climate conditions and allows water saving. Previous studies considered the aerodynamic properties of boundary layers along two types of screens: a small shading thermal screen covering a hedgerow citrus orchard and a large 50-mesh, insect-proof screen covering a pepper plantation. To extend the previous results, a third type of screen was analysed in this study, a large flat-roof 17-mesh white woven shading screen covering a banana plantation. Vertical profiles of wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and friction velocity were measured by a lifting tower, and wind profiles were analysed under near-neutral atmospheric stability. Results show that normalised friction velocity, normalised roughness length, normalised zero plane displacement height and aerodynamic resistance are closer to the previous results of the large insect-proof screenhouse than those of the small shade net.

Plant–atmosphere heat exchange during wind machine operation for frost protection

To mitigate spring frost damage, fruit farmers use wind machines to mix warm overlying air down to the vegetation. Up to this point, studies on wind machine efficiency have focused on air temperatures. The temperature of different plant organs during operation remains unknown, while critical for the actual degree of frost damage. With Distributed Temperature Sensing we measured vertical in-canopy air temperature profiles in a pear orchard in the Netherlands and thermistors were installed to determine the plant tissue temperatures. We found that to optimize wind machine operation, it is important to consider two effects of a wind machine: (1) mixing of stratified air above and into the canopy layer and (2) erosion of the leaf boundary layer to facilitate plant–air heat exchange. We show how foliage reduces plume penetration to the ground with distance to the wind machine. Due to this blocking at least 15 rotations (∼ 75 min) are needed for optimal mixing. Leaf temperatures lag behind air temperatures, due to strong radiative cooling. We found that over the rotation cycle of a wind machine the temperature difference between leaf and air is variable as convective warming repeatedly dominates over radiative cooling. This is different for flowers and shoots due to different heat capacities. Thin flower petals store little heat and are almost in direct equilibrium with air temperature changes. Shoots, with their higher heat capacity and lower surface/volume ratio, store more heat during the day that is slowly released at night. This discrepancy between plant and air temperature should be considered for frost damage prediction.

Effect of dust on rainfall over the Red Sea coast based on WRF-Chem model simulations

Abstract. Water is the single most important element of life. Rainfall plays an important role in the spatial and temporal distribution of this precious natural resource, and it has a direct impact on agricultural production, daily life activities, and human health. One of the important elements that govern rainfall formation and distribution is atmospheric aerosol, which also affects the Earth's radiation balance and climate. Therefore, understanding how dust compositions and distributions affect the regional rainfall pattern is crucial, particularly in regions with high atmospheric dust loads such as the Middle East. Although aerosol and rainfall research has garnered increasing attention as both an independent and interdisciplinary topic in the last few decades, the details of various direct and indirect pathways by which dust affects rainfall are not yet fully understood. Here, we explored the effects of dust on rainfall formation and distribution as well as the physical mechanisms that govern these phenomena, using high-resolution WRF-Chem simulations (∼ 1.5 km × 1.5 km) configured with an advanced double-moment cloud microphysics scheme coupled with a sectional eight-bin aerosol scheme. Our model-simulated results were realistic, as evaluated from multiple perspectives including vertical profiles of aerosol concentrations, aerosol size distributions, vertical profiles of air temperature, diurnal wind cycles, and spatio-temporal rainfall patterns. Rainfall over the Red Sea coast is mainly caused by warm rain processes, which are typically confined within a height of ∼ 6 km over the Sarawat mountains and exhibit a strong diurnal cycle that peaks in the evening at approximately 18:00 local time under the influence of sea breezes. Numerical experiments indicated that dust could both suppress or enhance rainfall. The effect of dust on rainfall was calculated as total, indirect, and direct effects, based on 10-year August-average daily-accumulated rainfall over the study domain covering the eastern Red Sea coast. For extreme rainfall events (domain-average daily-accumulated rainfall of ≥ 1.33 mm), the net effect of dust on rainfall was positive or enhancement (6.05 %), with the indirect effect (4.54 %) and direct effect (1.51 %) both causing rainfall increase. At a 5 % significance level, the total and indirect effects were statistically significant whereas the direct effect was not. For normal rainfall events (domain-average daily-accumulated rainfall < 1.33 mm), the indirect effect enhanced rainfall (4.76 %) whereas the direct effect suppressed rainfall (−5.78 %), resulting in a negative net suppressing effect (−1.02 %), all of which were statistically significant. We investigated the possible physical mechanisms of the effects and found that the rainfall suppression by dust direct effects was mainly caused by the scattering of solar radiation by dust. The surface cooling induced by dust weakens the sea breeze circulation, which decreases the associated landward moisture transport, ultimately suppressing rainfall. For extreme rainfall events, dust causes net rainfall enhancement through indirect effects as the high dust concentration facilitates raindrops to grow when the water vapor is sufficiently available. Our results have broader scientific and environmental implications. Specifically, although dust is considered a problem from an air quality perspective, our results highlight the important role of dust on sea breeze circulation and associated rainfall over the Red Sea coastal regions. Our results also have implications for cloud seeding and water resource management.

CFD simulation of updrafts initiated by a vertically directed jet fed by the heat of water vapor condensation

This paper presents the results of the development of a mathematical model and numerical simulation of the ascent in the atmosphere of a vertically directed jet fed by the heat of condensation of water vapor on a hygroscopic aerosol introduced into the jet at the start. The possibility of creating artificial convective clouds depending on jet parameters, condensation heat value and vertical profiles of wind speed, air temperature and humidity has been evaluated. Numerical experiments showed that the motion of a high-speed and high-temperature jet in the atmosphere has a complex turbulent nature. As the jet ascends, it expands, losing superheat and velocity. The temperature of the jet decreases faster than the velocity, so the jet rises slightly above the level at which its superheat disappears. The jet's ascent height increases as the humidity of the air and the vertical temperature gradient increase. Wind causes the jet to deform, bend, and decrease the height of ascent. Feed the jet with condensation heat results in a significant increase in jet lift height. This is particularly effective in the case of introducing into the jet two-layer NaCl/TiO2 nanoaerosol, which is capable of absorbing water vapor in an amount significantly greater than its mass. The simulation results are encouraging in the possibility of creating artificial updrafts that can lead to the formation of convective clouds and precipitation on days with favorable atmospheric conditions, when wind speed in the sub-cloud layer is < 6 m/s, air humidity is > 65%, and the temperature lapse rate is > 7.5 °C/km.

A Comparative Study of Cooling Performance and Thermal Comfort under Street Market Shades and Tree Canopies in Tropical Savanna Climate

Walking through street markets is the most popular outdoor activity in Thailand, promoting local economies and tourism. In the year-round hot and humid conditions, living outdoors with long heat exposure throughout the midday can result in heat-related illness. Artificial shade structures and tree shade canopies are typical cooling strategies to protect market sellers and pedestrians from direct sun exposure and improve outdoor human thermal comfort in the street market. This study investigates microclimate conditions and cooling benefits of typical street market shade structures with different settings—three roofing materials, two roof shapes, and surrounding trees with dense and sparse canopies. The dimension of the single artificial shade was 2 m × 2 m with heights varying 2–2.5 m. The vertical air temperature and sky view factor profiles were measured on winter and summer days. The calculated physiological equivalent temperatures (PET) and thermal comfortable hours beneath different shade structures were assessed using RayMan 1.2 software. A cluster of trees with a dense canopy provided more effective cooling (with a satisfied thermal condition of 9 h) than artificial shade structures. Thermal conditions under the galvanized steel roofing and HDPE tarpaulin plastic roofing shades were cooler than those of polycarbonate roofing shade. Meanwhile, the space beneath the sparse tree canopy had the warmest condition. The temperature reductions beneath the artificial shade structure varied throughout the day, with the maximum reduction occurring during midday and the lowest reduction found in the late morning and late afternoon. Our study demonstrates that the tree canopies and artificial shade structures had limited application for providing comfortable conditions throughout midday. To reduce such extreme heat, a combination of shade structures with other cooling techniques is suggested, which should be the focus for further studies.

Transition phenomena of natural convection of the air in an asymmetrically heated vertical channel with a damper

It was investigated the phenomenon of the air natural convection between vertical parallel plates with a damper installed at the end of the channel under asymmetrical heating conditions. The thermal behavior in the channel analyzed based on the vertically measured wall temperature distributions and bulk temperature distribution and the horizontal profiles of the air temperature measured at four heights. As the operating condition intensified, there was no change in either wall temperature distribution trend whereas the bulk temperature distribution trend changed only near the inlet through a change in the flow regime. This change in the flow regime affected the bulk temperature profile only near the wall. However, the overall temperature distributions and trends of the temperature profiles did not change drastically except near the inlet and they were similar to each other regardless of the operating condition and damper closing angle. On the basis of these results, it was focused on the transition phenomenon of natural convection between vertical parallel plates. It was considered the transition phenomenon from two viewpoints, that is, a change in flow regime and a change in flow pattern. In terms of a change in the flow regime, a distinguishable difference in the overall heat transfer performance was confirmed between laminar and turbulent regimes, but it does not affect the trends of the wall temperature distributions. Regarding the flow pattern change, criteria were suggested for distinguishing flow patterns between the entrance region and fully developed region at the mid-height of the channel according to the vertical temperature distributions and horizontal air temperature profiles. To verify the validity of the proposed concept, we made comparisons with the results of previous research and confirmed that our concept can be well applied.

Simulating summer mixing heights in California's San Joaquin Valley using the WRF meteorological model with three land surface modules

During the 1990 SARMAP/AUSPEX study a network of rawinsondes was flown at 3- and 6-h intervals to evaluate the meteorological conditions conducive high ozone concentrations in the Central Valley of California. Vertical profiles of air temperature, humidity, and pressure from 9 of the sites were used to determine maximum daily mixing heights in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) during the period August 3–6, 1990 and to evaluate their spatial distribution. The analysis showed a general pattern of increasing mixing heights from north to south within the SJV. But, it also showed that mixing heights were lower in areas in proximity to irrigated agriculture. The WRF prognostic meteorological model was used to simulate mixing heights during this period using three land surface modules (LSM): thermal diffusion (TD), Noah, and Pleim-Xiu (PXU). The maximum daily mixing heights simulated using the TD LSM were generally negatively biased; while those simulated using the Noah and PXU LSMs were positively biased. The differences in simulated mixing heights were attributed to differences in how crop land irrigation water is represented within each LSM. The TD LSM effectively assumes a fixed soil water content, but of sufficient magnitude to reflect latent heat fluxes associated with crop land irrigation. The PXU and Noah LSMs include comprehensive descriptions of the soil water budget. However, soil water may be depleted in the arid summer climate and these LSMs provide no direct means of accounting for water added through irrigation. The LSMs were also sensitive to estimates of ground cover in irrigated areas. For all 9 sites, the root mean square error (RMSE) for maximum daily mixing heights for the TD LSM, the Noah LSM, and the PXU LSM was 269, 350, and 366 m, respectively; and the biases for the 9 sites were − 161, 355, and 437 m, respectively. Using the assumption of well-managed irrigation and leaf area index (LAI) estimates from AVHRR remote sensing data sets, adjustments to the WRF input files were made to update soil water contents and ground cover for irrigated crop land use. Using the Noah LSM with the adjusted files, site-specific mixing height biases were reduced up to a factor of 4 and, for all sites, the RMSE for maximum daily mixing heights were reduced from 350 to 260 m; for the PXU LSM RMSEs were reduced from 366 to 238 m; and for the TD LSM from 269 to 231 m. This analysis illustrates the importance of accounting for the effects of applied irrigation water and ground cover in the simulation of mixing heights during the arid summer within the SJV. Irrigation can influence actual mixing heights and their distribution within a domain. It also illustrates that the choice of LSM is of less importance than setting LSM parametrizations to values appropriate for the modeling domain.

Selected Aspects of Indoor Climate in a Passive Office Building with a Thermally Activated Building System: A Case Study from Poland

Modern buildings with new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems offer possibility to fit parameters of the indoor environment to the occupants’ requirements. The present paper describes the results of measurements performed in an office room in the first Polish passive commercial office building during four months of normal operation. They were used to calculate parameters describing thermal comfort: vertical air temperature profile, floor surface temperature, predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percent of dissatisfied (PPD). Obtained results confirmed good thermal conditions in the analysed room. The average temperature of the floor’s surface varied from 20.6 °C to 26.2 °C. The average vertical air temperature, calculated for working days, was from 22.5 °C to 23.1 °C. The temperature difference between the floor and 5 cm below the ceiling was from −0.9 °C to 6.3 °C. The PMV index varied from 0.52 to 1.50 indicating ‘slightly warm’ sensation, in spite of ‘neutral’ reported by employees. Also measured cooling and heating energy consumption was presented. The performed measurements confirmed the ability of thermally activated building system (TABS) to keep good thermal conditions.

Precipitation phase transition in austral summer over the Antarctic Peninsula

Investigating precipitation phase transitions is crucial for improving our understanding of precipitation formation processes and impacts, particularly in Polar Regions. This study uses observational data and numerical modelling to investigate precipitation phase transitions in the western and northern Antarctic Peninsula (AP) during austral summer. The analysis is based on the ERA5 reanalysis product, dynamically downscaled using the Polar-WRF (Polar Weather Research and Forecasting) model, evaluated using regular meteorological observations and additional measurements made during the Year of Polar Prediction special observing period. We analyse three cases of extra-tropical cyclones bringing precipitation with phase transitions, observed at the Chilean station Professor Julio Escudero (King George Island, north of the AP) and the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station (western side of the AP) during the first week of December 2018. We use observed and modelled near-surface air temperature and pressure, precipitation amount and type, and vertical temperature profiles. Our results show that precipitation type (snow or rain) is well-represented by ERA5 and Polar-WRF, but both overestimate the total amount of precipitation. The ERA5 daily variability and vertical air temperature profile are close to the observed, while Polar-WRF underestimates temperature in the lower troposphere. However, ERA5 underestimates the temperature inversion, which is present during the atmospheric river event, while Polar-WRF represents that inversion well. The average weekly temperature, simulated with Polar-WRF, is lower compared to ERA5. The Polar-WRF fraction of snow in the total precipitation amount is higher than for ERA5; nevertheless, Polar-WRF represents the precipitation phase transition better than ERA5 during the event, associated with an atmospheric river. These case studies demonstrated a relationship between specific synoptic conditions and precipitation phase transitions at the AP, evaluated the ability of the state-of-the-art reanalysis and regional climate model to represent these events, and demonstrated the added value of combined analysis of observations from the western and northern AP, particularly for characterizing precipitation during synoptic events affecting the entire AP.

Vertical structure of the cool island in a large urban park

Greening of cities is one of the mitigation strategies for urban hot environments in summer, because green parks in cities have a lower temperature than the surrounding built environment in summer, called cool islands phenomena. This study took the micro-meteorological measurements in an urban park (Shinjyuku Gyoen, Tokyo Japan) and analyzes the vertical structure of a cool island at night. Vertical profiles of air temperature were measured simultaneously in the park and the nearby town area by the tethered balloons. In the park area, a cold air pool was present in the first 50 m from the ground, as opposed to neutral stratification in the town area. The cold air pool grew vertically at night. Meanwhile, surface air temperature difference between the park and the town increased up to 2 °C.The ground-based instruments recorded the park breeze which is cold airflow to town area for 21 nights over two summer months. In most cases, the park breeze had at least 16 m depth and traveled for more than 122 m from the park edge. It is hypothesized that the park breeze is the gravity current. The observations made in our study can aid evaluating worth of urban green.

Study of the vertical temperature profile in a tomato greenhouse equipped with lighting, two screens and a VentilationJet system

The application of Next Generation Growing (NGG, in Dutch “Het Nieuwe Telen”) in Dutch greenhouses has resulted in energy savings, accompanied by the extensive use of screens. The latter has affected the control of greenhouse climate which strongly depends on the air and humidity exchange between the top and bottom greenhouse compartment, as they are separated by the screen itself. When the screens are fully deployed an air exchange/mix system (VentilationJet) that blows dry and cold air from the top compartment into the greenhouse can be used to lower the greenhouse air temperature and relative humidity in a controllable way. The effect of this greenhouse climate control equipment use on vertical air temperature profile as well as on energy use was studied in a commercial greenhouse. Effects of artificial lighting, heating with pipes below the crop, activation of vertical fans and air exchange rate were analyzed during the winter of 2018. It was observed that when significant heat input (radiation) at the top of the crop occurred a vertical temperature gradient up to 2°C exists, with the bottom of the crop being colder than the top. This temperature gradient cannot be reduced by using only vertical air circulation fans but it can be minimized by additional heat input at the bottom; this may result in excess heat that has to be removed through either natural ventilation or with the use of VentilationJet when the screens are deployed. During the studied period about a quarter of the daily gas use for heating took place at the same time as the VentilationJet was removing warm and humid air from the top of the greenhouse.

An inter-hemispheric seasonal comparison of polar amplification using radiative forcing of a quadrupling CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; experiment

Abstract. The numerical climate simulations from the Brazilian Earth System Model (BESM) are used here to investigate the response of the polar regions to a forced increase in CO2 (Abrupt-4×CO2) and compared with Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) and 6 (CMIP6) simulations. The main objective here is to investigate the seasonality of the surface and vertical warming as well as the coupled processes underlying the polar amplification, such as changes in sea ice cover. Polar regions are described as the most climatically sensitive areas of the globe, with an enhanced warming occurring during the cold seasons. The asymmetry between the two poles is related to the thermal inertia and the coupled ocean–atmosphere processes involved. While at the northern high latitudes the amplified warming signal is associated with a positive snow– and sea ice–albedo feedback, for southern high latitudes the warming is related to a combination of ozone depletion and changes in the wind pattern. The numerical experiments conducted here demonstrated very clear evidence of seasonality in the polar amplification response as well as linkage with sea ice changes. In winter, for the northern high latitudes (southern high latitudes), the range of simulated polar warming varied from 10 to 39 K (−0.5 to 13 K). In summer, for northern high latitudes (southern high latitudes), the simulated warming varies from 0 to 23 K (0.5 to 14 K). The vertical profiles of air temperature indicated stronger warming at the surface, particularly for the Arctic region, suggesting that the albedo–sea ice feedback overlaps with the warming caused by meridional transport of heat in the atmosphere. The latitude of the maximum warming was inversely correlated with changes in the sea ice within the model's control run. Three climate models were identified as having high polar amplification for the Arctic cold season (DJF): IPSL-CM6A-LR (CMIP6), HadGEM2-ES (CMIP5) and CanESM5 (CMIP6). For the Antarctic, in the cold season (JJA), the climate models identified as having high polar amplification were IPSL-CM6A-LR (CMIP6), CanESM5(CMIP6) and FGOALS-s2 (CMIP5). The large decrease in sea ice concentration is more evident in models with great polar amplification and for the same range of latitude (75–90∘ N). Also, we found, for models with enhanced warming, expressive changes in the sea ice annual amplitude with outstanding ice-free conditions from May to December (EC-Earth3-Veg) and June to December (HadGEM2-ES). We suggest that the large bias found among models can be related to the differences in each model to represent the feedback process and also as a consequence of each distinct sea ice initial condition. The polar amplification phenomenon has been observed previously and is expected to become stronger in the coming decades. The consequences for the atmospheric and ocean circulation are still subject to intense debate in the scientific community.

Daytime Evolution of Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer Structure: Comparative Observations between a 307-m Meteorological Tower and a Rotary-Wing UAV

A 307-m tall meteorological tower was used to evaluate meteorological observation data obtained using a rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A comparative study between the tower and UAV observations was conducted during the daytime (06:00 to 19:00 local time (LT)) in the summer of 2017 (16–18th August). Hourly vertical profiles of air temperature, relative humidity, black carbon (BC), and ozone (O3) concentrations were obtained for up to 300 m height. Statistical metrics for evaluating the accuracy of UAV observations against the tower observation showed positive (potential temperature) and negative (relative humidity) biases, which were within acceptable ranges. The daytime evolution of the lower atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) was successfully captured by the hourly UAV observations. During the early morning, a large vertical slope of potential temperature was observed between 100 and 140 m, corresponding to the stable ABL height. The large vertical slope coincided with the large differences in BC and O3 concentrations between altitudes below and above the height. The transition from stable to convective ABL was observed at 10–11 LT, indicated by the ABL height higher than 300 m in the convective ABL. Finally, we provide several recommendations to reduce uncertainties of UAV observation.

CHANGES OF THERMAL REGIME IN TROPO-STRATOSPHERE OVER BASHKORTOSTAN TERRITORY

Space-time changes of thermal regime in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan are considered according to the data of ERA-Interim and ERA5 reanalysis for 1979-2018. A trend of warming of the regional climate in the troposphere and cooling in the stratosphere has been identified. Vertical profiles of air temperature, coefficient of inclination of linear trend of temperature from ground level up to 47 km have been built, assessment of correlations between atmosphere layers has been given. The role of atmospheric circulation in seasonal changes in temperature regime has been revealed. In winter, Arctic oscillation has been shown to contribute to warming in the lower layers of the troposphere and cooling in the middle and upper stratosphere. Long-term changes in air temperature in the period 1888-2018 have been calculated from weather surveillance at Ufa station. It has been shown that the warming of the climate in the region near the Earth's surface occurs most intensively during the winter-spring period (the value of the slope factor of the linear trend of air temperature in January 0,18 °C/10 years), and the most active phase of climate warming is in 1970-2018.

Estimates of the Refractive Index and Regular Refraction of Optical Waves in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Part 2, Laser Beam Refraction

Possible displacements of laser beams in the atmospheric boundary layer under the effect of regular refraction are calculated. The case where a radiation source is located at the level of underlying surface is considered. The displacements are estimated for different wavelengths and angles of the beam entrance into the atmosphere. The calculations are based on experimental data on the optical refractive index up to an altitude of 1000 m received in long-term (1 year) measurements of the vertical air temperature profiles with a MTP-5 meteorological temperature profiler.

Iteration Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Vertical Profiles of Air Temperature and Water Vapor with AQUA/AIRS Data

Iteration method for simultaneous estimation of vertical profiles of air temperature and water vapor with the high spectral resolution of sounder of AQUA/AIRS data is proposed. Through a sensitivity analysis based on the proposed method for the several atmospheric models simulated by MODTRAN, it is found that the proposed method is superior to the conventional method by 41.4% for air temperature profile and by 88.9% for relative humidity profile.

Development of a nodal model for predicting the vertical temperature profile in a stratum-ventilated room

This paper presents the development and validation of a simplified nodal model that predicts the vertical temperature profile in a stratum-ventilated room. With full consideration of the mechanism of stratum ventilation and the effects of envelope heat transmission, the vertical temperature profile in a stratum-ventilated room could be predicted. The proposed model was validated through nine experiments of different scenarios. Generally good agreements between the model-predictions and measurements were achieved on the vertical air temperature profile, vertical temperature differences and area-weighted mean surface temperatures of different room enclosures. The agreements were also good for the volume-weighted mean temperatures of the core zone and breathing zone. Therefore, this nodal model can be used for energy calculation and practical engineering design.

Alexander Tall Tower! A Study of the Boundary Layer on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

AbstractBecause of the harsh weather conditions on the Antarctic continent, year-round observations of the low-level boundary layer must be obtained via automated data acquisition systems. Alexander Tall Tower! is an automatic weather station on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and has been operational since February 2011. At 30 m tall, this station has six levels of instruments to collect environmental data, including temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and pressure. Data are collected at 30-, 15-, 7.5-, 4-, 2-, and 1-m levels above the snow surface. This study identifies short-term trends and provides an improved description of the lowest portion of the boundary layer over this portion of the Ross Ice Shelf for the February 2011–January 2014 period. Observations indicate two separate initiations of the winter season occur annually, caused by synoptic-scale anomalies. Sensible and latent heat flux estimates are computed using Monin–Obukhov similarity theory and vertical profiles of potential air temperature and wind speed. Over the three years, the monthly mean sensible heat flux ranges between 1 and 39 W m−2 (toward the surface) and the monthly mean latent heat flux ranges between −8 and 0 W m−2. Net heat fluxes directed toward the surface occur most of the year, indicating an atmospheric sink of energy.

Implications of atmospheric conditions for analysis of surface temperature variability derived from landscape-scale thermography

Thermal infrared (TIR) cameras perfectly bridge the gap between (i) on-site measurements of land surface temperature (LST) providing high temporal resolution at the cost of low spatial coverage and (ii) remotely sensed data from satellites that provide high spatial coverage at relatively low spatio-temporal resolution. While LST data from satellite (LSTsat) and airborne platforms are routinely corrected for atmospheric effects, such corrections are barely applied for LST from ground-based TIR imagery (using TIR cameras; LSTcam). We show the consequences of neglecting atmospheric effects on LSTcam of different vegetated surfaces at landscape scale. We compare LST measured from different platforms, focusing on the comparison of LST data from on-site radiometry (LSTosr) and LSTcam using a commercially available TIR camera in the region of Bozen/Bolzano (Italy). Given a digital elevation model and measured vertical air temperature profiles, we developed a multiple linear regression model to correct LSTcam data for atmospheric influences. We could show the distinct effect of atmospheric conditions and related radiative processes along the measurement path on LSTcam, proving the necessity to correct LSTcam data on landscape scale, despite their relatively low measurement distances compared to remotely sensed data. Corrected LSTcam data revealed the dampening effect of the atmosphere, especially at high temperature differences between the atmosphere and the vegetated surface. Not correcting for these effects leads to erroneous LST estimates, in particular to an underestimation of the heterogeneity in LST, both in time and space. In the most pronounced case, we found a temperature range extension of almost 10 K.