Vertical Flux Divergence Research Articles

On the salt balance of Tampa Bay

A three-dimensional, numerical circulation model, with resolution as high as 20m at important mass conveyances (inlets, channels, bridge causeways, and rivers), is used to diagnose the point by point salt balances for Tampa Bay, FL. While the details of the salt flux divergences and the salt fluxes vary throughout the bay, each is fully three dimensional. On experimental duration (three month) average, the total (horizontal plus vertical) advective salt flux divergence is mainly balanced by the vertical diffusive salt flux divergence, except near the bottom of the deep shipping channel, where horizontal diffusive salt flux divergence is also important. Instantaneously, the local rate of change of salinity is primarily controlled by the advective salt flux divergence, with a secondary contribution by the vertical diffusive salt flux divergence everywhere and the horizontal diffusive salt flux divergence near the channel bottom. To examine the role of tidal pumping, the advective salt fluxes and divergences are further decomposed into the products of the mean salinity and velocity, and the correlation between the salinity and velocity fluctuations. The horizontal and vertical advective salt flux divergences by the mean quantities are equally large and counterbalancing (by continuity), with their sum being a small, but significant residual. The horizontal and vertical advective salt flux divergences due to tidal pumping are relatively small (when compared with the mean quantities) and counterbalancing; but, when summed their residual is comparable in magnitude to that by the mean quantities. So whereas the salt fluxes by tidal pumping are of secondary importance to the salt fluxes by the mean quantities, their total flux divergences are of comparable importance. The salt flux components in all three dimensions (axial, transverse and vertical) themselves vary along the Tampa Bay axis, and these findings may be typical of coastal plain estuaries given their geometrical complexities. Being that the distribution of salt flux bears upon the flux distributions of other scalars (e.g., nutrients, fish larvae, etc.) our findings for salt flux also have broader ecological implications.

Applications of a Moist Nonhydrostatic Formulation of the Spectral Energy Budget to Baroclinic Waves. Part I: The Lower-Stratospheric Energy Spectra

Abstract The authors investigate the mesoscale dynamics that produce the lower-stratospheric energy spectra in idealized moist baroclinic waves, using the moist nonhydrostatic formulation of spectral energy budget of kinetic energy and available potential energy by J. Peng et al. The inclusion of moist processes energizes the lower-stratospheric mesoscale, helping to close the gap between observed and simulated energy spectra. In dry baroclinic waves, the lower-stratospheric mesoscale is mainly forced by weak downscale cascades of both horizontal kinetic energy (HKE) and available potential energy (APE) and by a weak conversion of APE to HKE. At wavelengths less than 1000 km, the pressure vertical flux divergence also has a significant positive contribution to the HKE; however, this positive contribution is largely counteracted by the negative HKE vertical flux divergence. In moist baroclinic waves, the lower-stratospheric mesoscale HKE is mainly generated by the pressure and HKE vertical flux divergences. This additional HKE is partly converted to APE and partly removed by diffusion. Another negative contribution to the mesoscale HKE is from the forcing of a visible upscale HKE cascade. Besides the conversion of HKE, however, the three-dimensional divergence also has a significant positive contribution to the mesoscale APE. With these two direct APE sources, the lower-stratospheric mesoscale also undergoes a much stronger upscale APE cascade. These results suggest that both downscale and upscale cascades through the mesoscale are permitted in the real atmosphere and the direct forcing of the mesoscale is available to feed the upscale energy cascade.

Effect of the atmospheric heat source on the development and eastward movement of the Tibetan Plateau vortices

Based on the final analyses data (FNL) of the Global Forecasting System of the National Centers for Environment Prediction (NCEP) and the radiosonde data over the Tibetan Plateau, evolutions of two types of the Tibetan Plateau vortices, moving-off the plateau (Type A) and dying-out on the plateau (Type B), are investigated respectively. Compared to Type B vortices, the large-scale circulations associated with Type A vortices show stronger ridge to the north of the plateau and deeper trough near the Bay of Bengal at 500 hPa, and the southwesterly flow from the trough and the northwesterly flow from the ridge converge more intensively to the east of Type A vortices. Meanwhile, at 200 hPa the divergence on the right-hand side of the upper westerly jet is just over the vortices. The convergence at 500 hPa and divergence at 200 hPa provide favourable conditions for the development and eastward motion of the vortices. The diagnoses of the potential vorticity (PV) budgets reveal that in the developing stages of the two types of vortices, the vertical distribution of the atmospheric heat source determines both their intensity and the moving direction. In the decaying stage, the maintenance and eastward movement for Type A vortices mainly depend on the convergence of the strong northwesterly and southwesterly to the east of the vortices. For Type B vortices, the vertical PV flux divergence caused by the ascending motion around the vortices reduces the intensity of the vortices and is unfavourable for their eastward motion.

On the application of Wentzel–Kramer–Brillouin theory for the simulation of the weakly nonlinear dynamics of gravity waves

The dynamics of internal gravity waves is modelled using Wentzel–Kramer–Brillouin (WKB) theory in position–wave number phase space. A transport equation for the phase‐space wave‐action density is derived for describing one‐dimensional wave fields in a background with height‐dependent stratification and height‐ and time‐dependent horizontal‐mean horizontal wind, where the mean wind is coupled to the waves through the divergence of the mean vertical flux of horizontal momentum associated with the waves. The phase‐space approach bypasses the caustics problem that occurs in WKB ray‐tracing models when the wave number becomes a multivalued function of position, such as in the case of a wave packet encountering a reflecting jet or in the presence of a time‐dependent background flow. Two numerical models were developed to solve the coupled equations for the wave‐action density and horizontal mean wind: an Eulerian model using a finite‐volume method and a Lagrangian ‘phase‐space ray tracer’ that transports wave‐action density along phase‐space paths determined by the classical WKB ray equations for position and wave number. The models are used to simulate the upward propagation of a Gaussian wave packet through a variable stratification, a wind jet and the mean flow induced by the waves. Results from the WKB models are in good agreement with simulations using a weakly nonlinear wave‐resolving model, as well as with a fully nonlinear large‐eddy‐simulation model. The work is a step toward more realistic parametrizations of atmospheric gravity waves in weather and climate models.

Inverse modeling of energy transports and budgets of the atmosphere

The vertically integrated horizontal energy transports and the vertically integrated vertical energy flux divergence from ERA-40 and ISCCP are not in balance assuming a stationary climate as a time mean over several years. The reasons are the inherent uncertainties in each of the respective data sets. We therefore modify them using a variational approach with a discretization in spherical harmonics to obtain consistent values. The variational approach only modifies the smaller yet more uncertain divergent part of the flow, leaving the large rotational part untouched. From these consistent fields we can calculate posterior covariance matrices of the vertically integrated horizontal energy transport and the vertically integrated vertical energy flux divergence, providing a measure of the uncertainty of the previous calculation. We are able to use these posterior covariance matrices to give an estimate of the uncertainty of the zonally and vertically integrated meridional energy transport, which is about 0.25 PW in the tropics and 0.04 PW in high latitudes, as well as for the vertical energy flux divergence of the atmosphere, which ranges from 2.5 to 5 W/m2 in the tropics to 15–17 W/m2 in high latitudes.

Effects of surface source/sink distributions on the flux–gradient similarity in the unstable surface layer

Based on the micrometeorological measurements at a heterogeneous farmland in the North China Plain, this study focused on the effects of surface source/sink distributions on the flux–gradient similarity theory in the unstable surface layer. Firstly, the quality of the micrometeorological measurements was evaluated by the analysis of the surface energy balance closure and the integral turbulence characteristics. In general, a 22 % deficit of energy balance was found at this site, with the sum of sensible and latent heat being smaller than the available energy. The normalized standard deviations of turbulent quantities behaved in accordance with Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. However, slight departures from the classical formulations might be caused by the surface heterogeneity. Then, the applicability of flux–gradient similarity over the heterogeneous surface was examined. The observed normalized wind gradients agreed with the classical universal function established over homogeneous surface. However, due to the effects of surface source/sink distributions, the observed normalized humidity and temperature gradients deviated from the classical universal functions. Our study shows that the classical universal functions, when adjusted by a coefficient considering the effects of surface heterogeneity, can be utilized to estimate fluxes via gradient method even though over the heterogeneous surface. This adjustment coefficient was found to decrease linearly from unity with the increase of the absolute value of the vertical flux divergence.

Mesoscale Energy Spectra of the Mei-Yu Front System. Part I: Kinetic Energy Spectra

Abstract The mesoscale kinetic energy (KE) spectra of the mei-yu front system are investigated through idealized numerical simulations. In the mature stage, the upper-tropospheric KE spectrum resembles a −3 power law for wavelengths between 1000 and 400 km and shallows to a slope of approximately − at smaller wavelengths. A similar behavior can be observed in the lower stratosphere. At both levels, the rotational KE spectrum shallows nearly to the same extent as the divergent KE spectrum at smaller wavelengths, accounting for the transition in the total KE spectrum. About 12 h after the latent heating is turned off, the mesoscale KE spectra hardly show the distinct spectral transition, especially in the upper troposphere. The spectral KE budget for various height ranges is analyzed and compared. In the upper troposphere, the mesoscale KE is deposited through the buoyancy flux and removed by the advective nonlinearity and vertical pressure flux divergence. The buoyancy flux spectrum in the mature phase has a peak at scales of around 300 km and a plateau throughout the mesoscale, which suggests a significant injection of KE in the mesoscale. The negative contribution of the advective nonlinearity demonstrates that to some extent the mesoscale KE derives from a nonlinear upscale cascade, with the buoyancy-produced energy source located at the lower end of mesoscale spectrum. In the lower stratosphere, the mesoscale KE is deposited through the advective nonlinearity and vertical pressure flux divergence and removed by the buoyancy flux. This suggests that the lower-stratospheric KE spectrum is influenced by both the downscale energy cascade and vertically propagating IGWs.

Reflections on the surface energy imbalance problem

The ‘energy imbalance problem’ in micrometeorology arises because at most flux measurement sites the sum of eddy fluxes of sensible and latent heat (H+λE) is less than the available energy (A). Either eddy fluxes are underestimated or A is overestimated. Reasons for the imbalance are: (1) a failure to satisfy the fundamental assumption of one-dimensional transport that is necessary for measurements on a single tower to represent spatially-averaged fluxes to/from the underlying surface, and (2) measurement errors in eddy fluxes, net radiation and changes in energy storage in soils, air and biomass below the measurement height. Radiometer errors are unlikely to overestimate A significantly, but phase lags caused by incorrect estimates of the energy storage terms can explain why H+λE systematically underestimates A at half-hourly time scales. Energy closure is observed at only 8% of flux sites in the La Thuile dataset (http://www.fluxdata.org/DataInfo/default.aspx) with half-hourly averages but this increases to 45% of sites using 24h averages because energy entering the soil, air and biomass in the morning is returned in the afternoon and evening. Unrealistically large and positive horizontal gradients in temperature and humidity are needed for advective flux divergences to explain the energy imbalance at half-hourly time scales. Imbalances between H+λE and A still occur in daily averages but the small residual energy imbalances are explicable by horizontal and vertical advective flux divergences. Systematic underestimates of the vertical heat flux also occur if horizontal u′T′ covariances contaminate the vertical w′T′ signal due to incorrect coordinate rotations. Closure of the energy balance is possible at half-hourly time scales by careful attention to all sources of measurement and data processing errors in the eddy covariance system and by accurate measurement of net radiation and every energy storage term needed to calculate available energy.

Radiative Flux Estimation from a Broadband Radiometer Using Synthetic Angular Models in the EarthCARE Mission Framework. Part I: Methodology

AbstractThe forthcoming broadband radiometer (BBR) on board the Earth Clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) will provide quasi-instantaneous top-of-atmosphere radiance measurements for three different viewing angles. The role of BBR data will be to constrain the vertical radiative flux divergence profiles derived from EarthCARE measurements. Thus, the development of an instantaneous radiance-to-flux conversion procedure is of paramount importance. This paper studies the scientific basis for determining fluxes from radiances measured by the BBR instrument. This is an attempt to evaluate a possible solution and assess its potential advantages and drawbacks. The approach considered has been to construct theoretical angular distribution models (ADMs) based on the multiangular pointing feature of this instrument. This configuration provides extra information on the anisotropy of the observed radiance field, which can be employed to construct accurate inversion schemes. The proposal relies on radiative transfer calculations performed with a Monte Carlo algorithm. Considering the intrinsic difficulty associated with addressing the range of atmospheric conditions needed to determine reliable ADMs, a synthetic database has been thoroughly constructed that considers a diverse range of surface, atmospheric, and cloud conditions that are conditioned to the EarthCARE orbit and physical constraints. Three inversion methodologies have been specifically designed for the BBR flux retrieval algorithm. In particular, an optimized classical inversion procedure in which the definition of an effective radiance leads to derive fluxes with averaged errors up to 1.2 and 5.2 W m−2 for shortwave clear and cloudy sky and 1.5 W m−2 for longwave radiation scenes and a linear combination of the three instantaneous radiances from which averaged errors up to 0.4 and 2.7 W m−2 for shortwave clear and cloudy sky and 0.5 W m−2 for longwave scenes can be obtained.

Field estimates of scalar advection across a canopy edge

Measurements of the horizontal and vertical fluxes of energy and mass were taken at a crop canopy edge and downwind of it to examine the effects of inhomogeneity on surface–atmosphere exchange, for the ideal case of flat uniform terrain. Energy balance closure was also examined and the effects of the often-neglected advection terms on the energy budget were evaluated. The results show that neither vertical nor horizontal advection should be neglected for moderate distances downwind from heterogeneous boundaries, with the energy budget closure near the leading edge improved by more than 20% with the inclusion of the horizontal and vertical advection of latent and sensible heat. Significant mean advective horizontal and vertical flux divergences of water vapor and temperature were found even in typical daytime conditions. In stable conditions horizontal advection can be responsible for more than 15% of the scalar (water vapor) transport 136 canopy heights downwind of a change in water vapor source density and surface roughness.

An inverse analysis reveals limitations of the soil-CO<sub>2</sub> profile method to calculate CO<sub>2</sub> production and efflux for well-structured soils

Abstract. Soil respiration is the second largest flux in the global carbon cycle, yet the underlying below-ground process, carbon dioxide (CO2) production, is not well understood because it can not be measured in the field. CO2 production has frequently been calculated from the vertical CO2 diffusive flux divergence, known as "soil-CO2 profile method". This relatively simple model requires knowledge of soil CO2 concentration profiles and soil diffusive properties. Application of the method for a tropical lowland forest soil in Panama gave inconsistent results when using diffusion coefficients (D) calculated based on relationships with soil porosity and moisture ("physically modeled" D). Our objective was to investigate whether these inconsistencies were related to (1) the applied interpolation and solution methods and/or (2) uncertainties in the physically modeled profile of D. First, we show that the calculated CO2 production strongly depends on the function used to interpolate between measured CO2 concentrations. Secondly, using an inverse analysis of the soil-CO2 profile method, we deduce which D would be required to explain the observed CO2 concentrations, assuming the model perception is valid. In the top soil, this inversely modeled D closely resembled the physically modeled D. In the deep soil, however, the inversely modeled D increased sharply while the physically modeled D did not. When imposing a constraint during the fit parameter optimization, a solution could be found where this deviation between the physically and inversely modeled D disappeared. A radon (Rn) mass balance model, in which diffusion was calculated based on the physically modeled or constrained inversely modeled D, simulated observed Rn profiles reasonably well. However, the CO2 concentrations which corresponded to the constrained inversely modeled D were too small compared to the measurements. We suggest that, in well-structured soils, a missing description of steady state CO2 exchange fluxes across water-filled pores causes the soil-CO2 profile method to fail. These fluxes are driven by the different diffusivities in inter- vs. intra-aggregate pores which create permanent CO2 gradients if separated by a "diffusive water barrier". These results corroborate other studies which have shown that the theory to treat gas diffusion as homogeneous process, a precondition for use of the soil-CO2 profile method, is inaccurate for pore networks which exhibit spatial separation between CO2 production and diffusion out of the soil.

Role of vertical eddy heat flux in the response of tropical tropopause temperature to changes in tropical sea surface temperature

We performed numerical experiments using an atmospheric general circulation model to assess the effect of convections associated with various tropical sea surface temperature (SST) fields on the tropical tropopause (TT). Three experiments were designed with different patterns of tropical SST: increasing and decreasing mean tropical SST, enhanced and weakened longitudinal gradient of tropical SST, and observed SST corresponding to strong El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The results reveal that vertical advection plays an important role in controlling seasonal variation in TT temperature. In the case of a large (small) longitudinal gradient of tropical SST, the vertical eddy heat flux () diverges strongly (weakly) around the TT, resulting in cooling (warming) of the TT. Divergence of the vertical eddy heat flux is a primary controlling factor of variations in interannual TT temperature, especially during the peak of El Niño events. Analysis of ERA‐Interim and ERA‐40 data supports our results regarding the influence of vertical eddy heat flux on TT temperature. Divergence of vertical eddy heat flux at the TT layer is sensitive to the “strength” of the Matsuno‐Gill–type tropical stationary wave response; this divergence appears to explain variations in the observed TT temperature associated with ENSO.

Dynamics of ammonia exchange with cut grassland: synthesis of results and conclusions of the GRAMINAE Integrated Experiment

Abstract. Improved data on biosphere-atmosphere exchange are fundamental to understanding the production and fate of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere. The GRAMINAE Integrated Experiment combined novel measurement and modelling approaches to provide the most comprehensive analysis of the interactions to date. Major inter-comparisons of micrometeorological parameters and NH3 flux measurements using the aerodynamic gradient method and relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) were conducted. These showed close agreement, though the REA systems proved insufficiently precise to investigate vertical flux divergence. Grassland management had a large effect on fluxes: emissions increased after grass cutting (−50 to 700 ng m−2 s−1 NH3) and after N-fertilization (0 to 3800 ng m−2 s−1) compared with before the cut (−60 to 40 ng m−2 s−1). Effects of advection and air chemistry were investigated using horizontal NH3 profiles, acid gas and particle flux measurements. Inverse modelling of NH3 emission from an experimental farm agreed closely with inventory estimates, while advection errors were used to correct measured grassland fluxes. Advection effects were caused both by the farm and by emissions from the field, with an inverse dispersion-deposition model providing a reliable new approach to estimate net NH3 fluxes. Effects of aerosol chemistry on net NH3 fluxes were small, while the measurements allowed NH3-induced particle growth rates to be calculated and aerosol fluxes to be corrected. Bioassays estimated the emission potential Γ = [NH4+]/[H+] for different plant pools, with the apoplast having the smallest values (30–1000). The main within-canopy sources of NH3 emission appeared to be leaf litter and the soil surface, with Γ up to 3 million and 300 000, respectively. Cuvette and within-canopy analyses confirmed the role of leaf litter NH3 emission, which, prior to cutting, was mostly recaptured within the canopy. Measured ammonia fluxes were compared with three models: an ecosystem model (PaSim), a soil vegetation atmosphere transfer model (SURFATM-NH3) and a dynamic leaf chemistry model (DCC model). The different models each reproduced the main temporal dynamics in the flux, highlighting the importance of canopy temperature dynamics (Surfatm-NH3), interactions with ecosystem nitrogen cycling (PaSim) and the role of leaf surface chemistry (DCC model). Overall, net above-canopy fluxes were mostly determined by stomatal and cuticular uptake (before the cut), leaf litter emissions (after the cut) and fertilizer and litter emissions (after fertilization). The dynamics of ammonia emission from leaf litter are identified as a priority for future research.

Inter-comparison of ammonia fluxes obtained using the Relaxed Eddy Accumulation technique

Abstract. The exchange of Ammonia (NH3) between grassland and the atmosphere was determined using Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (REA) measurements. The use of REA is of special interest for NH3, since the determination of fluxes at one height permits multiple systems to be deployed to quantify vertical flux divergence (either due to effects of chemical production or advection). During the Braunschweig integrated experiment four different continuous-sampling REA systems were operated during a period of about 10 days and were compared against a reference provided by independent application of the Aerodynamic Gradient Method (AGM). The experiment covered episodes before and after both cutting and fertilizing and provided a wide range of fluxes −60–3600 ng NH3 m−2 s−1 for testing the REA systems. The REA systems showed moderate to good correlation with the AGM estimates, with r2 values for the linear regressions between 0.3 and 0.82. For the period immediately after fertilization, the REA systems showed average fluxes 20% to 70% lower than the reference. At periods with low fluxes REA and AGM can agree within a few %. Overall, the results show that the continuous REA technique can now be used to measure NH3 surface exchange fluxes. While REA requires greater analytical precision in NH3 measurement than the AGM, a key advantage of REA is that reference sampling periods can be introduced to remove bias between sampling inlets. However, while the data here indicate differences consistent with advection effects, significant improvements in sampling precision are essential to allow robust determination of flux divergence in future studies. Wet chemical techniques will be developed further since they use the adsorptive and reactive properties of NH3 that impedes development of cheaper optical systems.

The Mesoscale Kinetic Energy Spectrum of a Baroclinic Life Cycle

Abstract The atmospheric mesoscale kinetic energy spectrum is investigated through numerical simulations of an idealized baroclinic wave life cycle, from linear instability to mature nonlinear evolution and with high horizontal and vertical resolution (Δx ≈ 10 km and Δz ≈ 60 m). The spontaneous excitation of inertia–gravity waves yields a shallowing of the mesoscale spectrum with respect to the large scales, in qualitative agreement with observations. However, this shallowing is restricted to the lower stratosphere and does not occur in the upper troposphere. At both levels, the mesoscale divergent kinetic energy spectrum—a proxy for the inertia–gravity wave energy spectrum—resembles a −5/3 power law in the mature stage. Divergent kinetic energy dominates the lower stratospheric mesoscale spectrum, accounting for its shallowing. Rotational kinetic energy, by contrast, dominates the upper tropospheric spectrum and no shallowing of the full spectrum is observed. By analyzing the tendency equation for the kinetic energy spectrum, it is shown that the lower stratospheric spectrum is not governed solely by a downscale energy cascade; rather, it is influenced by the vertical pressure flux divergence associated with vertically propagating inertia–gravity waves.

Creating Surface Flux Maps from Airborne Measurements: Application to the Mackenzie Area GEWEX Study MAGS 1999

The objective of this study is to produce two-dimensional maps of the sensible and the latent heat fluxes from airborne measurements, based on the analysis of a flight pattern, called grid flights. A footprint model with along-wind and cross-wind components was used to project the measured fluxes onto the surface map. The method was applied to measurements over Arctic tundra during the Mackenzie Area GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment) Study (MAGS) 1999. The resulting flux estimates were computed by integration of a wavelet transform, and corrected for long wavelength losses using information from 100 km long regional runs that were conducted close to the grid flights. The random flux error was estimated based on the flight length that is represented in each map element, and a map resolution of 3 × 3 km was chosen in order to keep the average random error of the latent heat flux below 25%. The random error of the sensible heat flux was smaller by a factor of 1.4 on average. An analysis of airborne flux measurements at different altitudes showed no significant increase of flux estimates for measurement heights below 90 m. Thus, the fluxes measured at heights between 48 and 64 m were not corrected for vertical flux divergence. The resulting flux maps provide quantitative two-dimensional estimates of the energy exchange between the surface and the atmosphere during the snow melt period in an Arctic environment, which are well-suited for calibration and validation of numerical models.

An assessment of observed vertical flux divergence in long-term eddy-covariance measurements over two Midwestern forest ecosystems

Vertical divergence of CO 2 fluxes is observed over two Midwestern AmeriFlux forest sites. The differences in ensemble averaged hourly CO 2 fluxes measured at two heights above canopy are relatively small (0.2–0.5 μmol m −2 s −1), but they are the major contributors to differences (76–256 g C m −2 or 41.8–50.6%) in estimated annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in 2001. A friction velocity criterion is used in these estimates but mean flow advection is not accounted for. This study examines the effects of coordinate rotation, averaging time period, sampling frequency and co-spectral correction on CO 2 fluxes measured at a single height, and on vertical flux differences measured between two heights. Both the offset in measured vertical velocity and the downflow/upflow caused by supporting tower structures in upwind directions lead to systematic over- or under-estimates of fluxes measured at a single height. An offset of 1 cm s −1 and an upflow/downflow of 1° lead to 1% and 5.6% differences in momentum fluxes and nighttime sensible heat and CO 2 fluxes, respectively, but only 0.5% and 2.8% differences in daytime sensible heat and CO 2 fluxes. The sign and magnitude of both offset and upflow/downflow angle vary between sonic anemometers at two measurement heights. This introduces a systematic and large bias in vertical flux differences if these effects are not corrected in the coordinate rotation. A 1 h averaging time period is shown to be appropriate for the two sites. In the daytime, the absolute magnitudes of co-spectra decrease with height in the natural frequencies of 0.02–0.1 Hz but increase in the lower frequencies (<0.01 Hz). Thus, air motions in these two frequency ranges counteract each other in determining vertical flux differences, whose magnitude and sign vary with averaging time period. At night, co-spectral densities of CO 2 are more positive at the higher levels of both sites in the frequency range of 0.03–0.4 Hz and this vertical increase is also shown at most frequencies lower than 0.03 Hz. Differences in co-spectral corrections at the two heights lead to a positive shift in vertical CO 2 flux differences throughout the day at both sites. At night, the vertical CO 2 flux differences between two measurement heights are 20–30% and 40–60% of co-spectral corrected CO 2 fluxes measured at the lower levels of the two sites, respectively. Vertical differences of CO 2 flux are relatively small in the daytime. Vertical differences in estimated mean vertical advection of CO 2 between the two measurement heights generally do not improve the closure of the 1D (vertical) CO 2 budget in the air layer between the two measurement heights. This may imply the significance of horizontal advection. However, a reliable assessment of mean advection contributions in annual NEE estimate at these two AmeriFlux sites is currently an unsolved problem.

Estimating the components of the sensible heat budget of a tall forest canopy in complex terrain

Ultrasonic wind measurements, sonic temperature and air temperature data at two heights in the advection experiment MORE II were used to establish a complete budget of sensible heat including vertical advection, horizontal advection and horizontal turbulent flux divergence. MORE II took place at the long-term Carbo-Europe IP site in Tharandt, Germany. During the growing period of 2003 three additional towers were established to measure all relevant parameters for an estimation of advective fluxes, primarily of CO2. Additionally, in relation to other advection experiments, a calculation of the horizontal turbulent flux divergence is proposed and the relation of this flux to atmospheric stability and friction velocity is discussed. In order to obtain a complete budget, different scaling heights for horizontal advection and horizontal turbulent flux divergence are tested. It is shown that neglecting advective fluxes may lead to incorrect results. If advective fluxes are taken into account, the sensible heat budget based upon vertical turbulent flux and storage change only, is reduced by approximately 30%. Additional consideration of horizontal turbulent flux divergence would in turn add 5–10% to this sum (i.e., the sum of vertical turbulent flux plus storage change plus horizontal and vertical advection). In comparison with available energy horizontal advection is important at night whilst horizontal turbulent flux divergence is rather insignificant. Obviously, advective fluxes typically improve poor nighttime energy budget closure and might change ecosystem respiration fluxes considerably.

Surface boundary-layer variability off Northern California, USA, during upwelling

Abstract A five-element mooring array is used to study surface boundary-layer transport over the Northern California shelf from May to August 2001. In this region, upwelling favorable winds increase in strength offshore, leading to a strong positive wind stress curl. We examine the cross-shelf variation in surface Ekman transport calculated from the wind stress and the actual surface boundary-layer transport estimated from oceanic observations. The two quantities are highly correlated with a regression slope near one. Both the Ekman transport and surface boundary layer transport imply curl-driven upwelling rates of about 3×10 −4 m s −1 between the 40 and 90 m isobaths (1.5 and 11.0 km from the coast, respectively) and curl-driven upwelling rates about 1.5×10 −4 m s −1 between the 90 and 130 m isobaths (11.0 and 28.4 km from the coast, respectively). Thus curl-driven upwelling extends to at least 25 km from the coast. In contrast, upwelling driven by the adjustment to the coastal boundary condition occurs primarily inshore of the 40-m isobath. The upwelling rates implied by the differentiating the 40-m transport observations with the coastal boundary condition are up to 8×10 −4 m s −1 . The estimated upwelling rates and the temperature–nitrate relationship imply curl-driven vertical nitrate flux divergences are about half of those driven by coastal boundary upwelling.

Warming and freshening of Baffin Bay, 1916–2003

Regression analysis of historical hydrographic data is used to determine changes in temperature and salinity in Baffin Bay for the time period from 1916 to 2003. We find two distinct sets of changes in the Baffin: First, areas affected by the Atlantic inflow to Baffin Bay show substantial and statistically significant warming trends. In the more than 2000 m deep basin the warming peaks at 0.11 ± 0.06°C/decade at 700 m depth below the 640 m sill depth of Davis Strait connecting Baffin Bay to the North Atlantic Ocean. A vertical heat flux divergence of 0.25 W/m2 is required to warm Baffin Bay below 900 m by the amount observed. The required heat appears to be advected from the shelf and slope regions of the eastern Labrador Sea via Davis Strait along the west Greenland shelf break and diffuses vertically and horizontally into the deep central basin. The North Atlantic Oscillation index accounts for about 30% of the interannual variance of temperature fluctuations below the Davis Strait sill depth. Second, areas affected by Arctic inflow to Baffin Bay show a marginally significant freshening of up to about 0.086 ± 0.039 psu/decade. This freshening trend extends along the western margin of Baffin Island to Davis Strait and into the Labrador Sea. The freshening in the northern reaches of Baffin Bay is similar in size to that at its southern reaches. Temporal variability of annual composites between these locations appears to be in phase, suggesting a swift transition of Arctic waters at 76°N to Labrador Sea waters at 62°N.