Huizhi Liu

Turbulent flux transfer over bare-soil surfaces: Characteristics and parameterization

Abstract Parameterization of turbulent flux from bare-soil and undercanopy surfaces is imperative for modeling land–atmosphere interactions in arid and semiarid regions, where flux from the ground is dominant or comparable to canopy-sourced flux. This paper presents the major characteristics of turbulent flux transfers over seven bare-soil surfaces. These sites are located in arid, semiarid, and semihumid regions in Asia and represent a variety of conditions for aerodynamic roughness length (z0m; from <1 to 10 mm) and sensible heat flux (from −50 to 400 W m−2). For each site, parameter kB−1 [=ln(z0m/z0h), where z0h is the thermal roughness length] exhibits clear diurnal variations with higher values during the day and lower values at night. Mean values of z0h for the individual sites do not change significantly with z0m, resulting in kB−1 increasing with z0m, and thus the momentum transfer coefficient increases faster than the heat transfer coefficient with z0m. The term kB−1 often becomes negative at nig...

Multiyear precipitation reduction strongly decreases carbon uptake over northern China

Drought has been a concern in global and regional water, carbon, and energy cycles. From 1999 to 2011, northern China experienced a multiyear precipitation reduction that significantly decreased water availability as indicated by the Palmer Drought Severity Index and soil moisture measurements. In this study, a light use efficiency model (EC-LUE) and an ecosystem physiological model (IBIS) were used to characterize the impacts of long-term drought on terrestrial carbon fluxes in northern China. EC-LUE and IBIS models showed the reduction of averaged GPP of 0.09 and 0.05 Pg C yr-1 during 1999-2011 compared with 1982-1998. Based on the IBIS model, simulated ecosystem respiration experienced an insignificant decrease from 1999 to 2011. The multiyear precipitation reduction changed the regional carbon uptake of 0.011 Pg C yr-1 from 1982 to 1998 to a net source of 0.018 Pg C yr-1 from 1999 to 2011. Moreover, a pronounced decrease in maize yield in almost all provinces in the study region was found from 1999 to 2011 versus the average of yield from1978 to 2011. The largest maize yield reduction occurred in Beijing (2499kgha-1yr-1), Jilin (2180kgha-1yr-1), Tianjing (1923kgha-1yr-1), and Heilongjiang (1791kgha-1yr-1), and the maize yield anomaly was significantly correlated with the annual precipitation over the entire study area. Our results revealed that recent climate change, especially drought-induced water stress, is the dominant cause of the reduction in the terrestrial carbon sink over northern China.

Eddy covariance measurements of water vapor and CO 2 fluxes above the Erhai Lake

Measurement of turbulence fluxes were performed over the Erhai Lake using eddy covariance (EC) method. Basic physical parameters in the lake-air interaction processes, such as surface albedo of the lake, aerodynamic roughness length, bulk transfer coefficients, etc., were investigated using the EC data in 2012. The characteristics of turbulence fluxes over the lake including momentum flux, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and CO2 flux, and their controlling factors were analyzed. The total annual evaporation of the lake was also estimated based on the artificial neural network (ANN) gap-filling technique. Results showed that the total annual evaporation in 2012 was 1165 ± 15 mm, which was larger than the annual precipitation (818 mm). Local circulation between the lake and the surrounding land was found to be significant throughout the year due to the land-lake breeze or the mountain-valley breeze in this area. The prevailing winds of southeasterly and northwesterly were observed throughout the year. The sensible heat flux over this plateau lake usually had a few tens of W m−2, and generally became negative in the afternoon, indicating that heat was transferred from the lake to the atmosphere. The sensible heat flux was governed by the lake-air temperature difference and had its maximum in the early morning. The diurnal variation of the latent heat flux was controlled by vapor pressure deficit with a peak in the afternoon. The latent heat flux was dominant in the partition of available energy in daytime over this lake. The lake acted as a weak CO2 source to the atmosphere except for the midday of summer. Seasonal variations of surface albedo over the lake were related to the solar elevation angle and opacity of the water. Furthermore, compared with the observation data, the surface albedo estimated by CLM4-LISSS model was underestimated in winter and overestimated in summer.

Turbulence spectra and dissipation rates above and within a forest canopy

Three velocity componentsand temperature were measured usingthree-dimensional sonic anemometers/thermometers attwo levels, above and within a forest canopy, in theChangbai Mountains of northeast China. Turbulencespectral structure, local isotropy anddissipation rates above and within the forest canopywere calculated using the eddy correlation method.Results show that the normalized turbulent spectralcurves have -2/3 slopes in the inertial subrange.While the shapes of the spectra are in good agreementwith the Kansas flat terrain results, the atmosphericturbulence is anisotropic above the forest canopy. Dueto breaking down of large eddies by the foliage,branches and trunks, the spectral peak frequencies forvelocity and temperature are higher withinthan above the forest canopy. Compared withmeasurements from previous studies over flat terrain,the velocity and temperature spectra above andinside the forest canopy appear to shift toward higherfrequencies. The turbulence is approximately isotropicin the inertial subrange within the forest canopy, and isanisotropic above the forest canopy. The turbulentkinetic energy and heat energy dissipation rates aboveand inside the forest canopy are much larger thanthose obtained by Kaimal and Hogstrom over grasslandand grazing land. The distinct features in the resultsof the present experiment may be attributed to thedynamic forcing caused by the rough surface of the forestcanopy.

Surface characteristics of grasslands in Inner Mongolia as detected by micrometeorological measurements

A roving tower concept was used to compare a semi-arid grassland site in Inner Mongolia (China), which was fenced in 1979 and ungrazed thereafter (UG79) with differently grazed semi-arid steppe ecosystems. The study was conducted during three consecutive years characterised by contrasting precipitation. The different grazing intensities included continuously and moderately grazed (CG), winter grazed (WG), and heavily grazed (HG). Here, we compare the energy fluxes and surface parameters that characterise the differently managed plots. The main focus is on sensible heat flux (H), available energy (AE), surface temperature (Ts), and surface albedo (α). Systematic errors were excluded by a side-to-side intercomparison of the instruments, and systematic climatic differences were minimised by the close distance between the fixed and the roving eddy covariance tower. Statistically, AE and Ts were always significantly different between two simultaneously measured grazing intensities. Whereas AE was higher at UG79 in all years (mean difference of about 19Wm−2), Ts was typically lower at UG79 (mean differences of 0.4°C to about 2°C). The exception was the end of the vegetation period in 2004 when Ts was 0.6°C higher at UG79 compared to CG. At UG79 α was typically significantly lower, and H was typically significantly higher. Consequently, latent heat fluxes (both as energy balance residual and directly measured) do not differ much between the different grazing intensities. It is concluded, that (1) the roving tower concept is able to detect differences due to grazing, (2) differences between the sites can be attributed to real surface differences, and (3) differences due to grazing intensities are small compared to interannual differences in surface fluxes.

Carbon dioxide exchange processes over the grassland ecosystems in semiarid areas of China

Based on the carbon fluxes measured over the grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia (UG79 site), Loess Plateau (SACOL site), and Tongyu, Jilin Province (TY site) in the semiarid areas from 2007 to 2008 with the eddy covariance method, we have investigated the carbon exchange processes over semiarid grassland ecosystem and its main affecting environmental variables. The precipitations at UG79 and TY sites in 2007 were below the historical average, especially for TY site, which was 50% below the historical average annual precipitation. The precipitation in SACOL site was close to average in 2007 but below average in 2008. The variation of monthly diurnal average NEE showed that the diurnal mean NEE decreased in the order of TY site, UG79 site, and SACOL site. However, a longer net carbon uptake period was observed at SACOL site. The diurnal course of NEE at UG79 site was similar between 2007 and 2008. The diurnal average NEE remained large during July and August in growing season (May to September) at UG79 site, with maximum values approaching 0.08 mg C m−2 s−1 in August of 2008. The diurnal average NEE of 2007 was larger than 2008 at SACOL site, with maximum values of 0.07 mg C m−2 s−1 in September of 2007. A shorter carbon uptake period was recorded in 2007 at TY site, lasting from July to August. A larger diurnal average NEE occurred in 2008 at TY site, with maximum values of 0.12 mg C m−2 s−1. The ecosystem respirations of three sites were controlled by both soil temperature and soil volumetric water content (at a depth of 5 cm below the land surface). Both UG79 site and SACOL site acted as a carbon sink during the growing periods of 2007 and 2008. Annual NEE in the growing seasons of 2007 and 2008 ranged from −68 to −50 g C m−2 at UG79 site and from −109 to −55 g C m−2 at SACOL site. Alternation between carbon source and carbon sink was found at TY site, with respective values of annual NEE in the growing seasons of 0.32 g C m−2 and −73 g C m−2 in 2007 and 2008. The magnitude and duration of carbon uptake depended mainly on the amount and timing of precipitation and the timing of the first effective rainfall during the growing season in semiarid grassland ecosystems.

A Field Experiment on the Small-Scale Variability of Rainfall Based on a Network of Micro Rain Radars and Rain Gauges

Small-scale summer rainfall variability in a semiarid zone was studied by deploying five vertically pointing Micro Rain Radars (MRRs) along a nearly straight line and by using 12 rain gauges in the study area of the Xilin River catchment in China. The spatial scales of 4 and 9km correspond to the resolution of precipitation radar and rainfall products from satellites. The dataset of the MRRs and rain gauges covers two months in the summer of 2009. Three parameters, that is, spatial correlation, intermittency, and the coefficient of variation (CV), were used to describe the rainfall variability as based on the data from the MRRs and rain gauges.Theprobabilityof partial beamfilling in a4-km(9km)pixelover a30-min temporal scale was 17%‐20% (28%‐37%). More accurate equipment can measure lower rainfall intermittency. For scales of 4 and 9km, the median CV of the accumulation times that were longer than 3h with rainfall . 1mm was 0.17‐0.42. The accuracy of areal rainfall measured by different quantities of equipment was also evaluated. One MRR was sufficient for measuring the daily areal rainfall at a 4-km scale, with a fraction of prediction within a factor of 2 of observations of 1.0 and a correlation coefficient of

Analysis of land surface parameters and turbulence characteristics over the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding region

0.58 when daily mean rainfall was .1mm.

Effects of different gap filling methods and land surface energy balance closure on annual net ecosystem exchange in a semiarid area of China

Based on the results from eleven flux sites during the third Tibetan Plateau (TP) Experiment (TIPEX III), land surface parameters and the turbulence characteristics of the atmospheric surface layer over the TP and surrounding region are analyzed. Monin-Obukhov similarity theory has been used to calculate the aerodynamic roughness length z0m and the excess resistance to heat transfer kB− 1 = ln(z0m/z0h), and the factors that cause variations of z0m and kB− 1 are investigated. The main sdrivers for the diurnal variations of surface albedo(α) at different sites are solar elevation, solar radiation, and soil moisture. The eddy correlation method is utilized to inversely calculate bulk transfer coefficients for momentum (CD) and heat (CH) at different sites. The relationships between CD and CH, and the wind speed at 10 m follow a power law for unstable stratification. For stable stratification, both CD and CH increase with increasing wind speed when wind speed is less than 5 m/s. Diurnal variations of turbulent fluxes are compared at different sites, and the relationships between turbulent fluxes and other variables are analyzed. Wind speed variance normalized by the friction velocity (σu/u*, σv/u*, σw/u*) for neutral stratification (Cu1,Cv1,Cw1), and temperature and humidity variance normalized by a temperature and humidity scale (σT/T*, σq/q*) under free convection (z/L < -0.1) (CT,Cq) are fitted with similarity relations. The differences in similarity constants (Cu1,Cv1,Cw1,CT,Cq) at different sites are discussed. For stable stratification, cases are divided into weakly stable conditions and intermittent turbulence, and the critical values for these two states are determined. Shear and buoyancy terms in the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) equation for different stratifications are analyzed.

Seasonal and inter-annual variation of surface roughness length and bulk transfer coefficients in a semiarid area

Based on eddy covariance measurements over two kinds of land surfaces (a degraded grassland and a maize cropland) in a semiarid area of China in 2005 and 2008, the effects of different gap filling methods, energy balance closure and friction velocity threshold (u*) on annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) were analyzed. Six gap filling methods, including mean diurnal variation (MDV), marginal distribution sampling (MDS), and nonlinear regressions method, were investigated by generating secondary datasets with four different artificial gap lengths (ranging in length from single half-hours to 12 consecutive days). The MDS generally showed a good overall performance especially for long gaps, with an annual sum bias error less than 5 g C m−2 yr−1. There was a large positive annual sum bias error for nonlinear regressions, indicating an overestimate on net ecosystem respiration. The offset in the annual sum NEE for four nonlinear regressions was from 8.0 to 30.8 g C m−2 yr−1. As soil water content was a limiting factor in the semiarid area, the nonlinear regressions considering both soil temperature and soil water content as controlling variables had a better performance than others. The performance of MDV was better in daytime than in nighttime, with an annual sum bias error falling between −2.6 and −13.4 g C m−2 yr−1. Overall, the accuracy of the gap filling method was dependent on the type of the land surface, gap length, and the time of day when the data gap occurred. The energy balance ratio for the two ecosystems was nearly 80%. Turbulent intensity had a large impact on energy balance ratio. Low energy balance ratio was observed under low friction velocity during the night. When there was a large fetch distance in a wind direction, a low energy balance ratio was caused by mismatch of the footprints between the available energy and turbulent fluxes. The effect of energy balance correction on CO2 flux was evaluated by assuming the imbalance caused by the underestimation of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux. The results showed an average increase of 10 g C m−2 yr−1 for annual NEE in both ecosystems with an energy balance correction. On the other hand, the u* threshold also have a large impact on annual sum NEE. Net carbon emission increased 37.5 g C m−2 yr−1 as u* threshold increased from 0.1 to 0.2 m s−1, indicating a large impact of imposing u* threshold on net ecosystem carbon exchange.