ARS | Publication request: Relations between environmental conditions and the ability to close the energy balance

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: May 25, 2006
Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Citation: Hipps, L.E., Prueger, J.H., Eichinger, W.E., Kustas, W.P. 2006. Relations between environmental conditions and the ability to close the energy balance. In: Proceedings of the 27th Conference on Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, May 22-25, 2006, San Diego, CA. 2006 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: Any estimates of the transport of mass and energy at the surface must be analyzed to assess reliability and accuracy. A direct approach to this issue is problematic with eddy covariance measurements. However, one approach that offers a measure of self-consistency is to examine the energy balance closure values, defined as the ratio of turbulence energy fluxes over available energy. As reported data continues to grow over a range of surfaces and conditions, it is clear that there is a systematic bias in eddy covariance flux estimates. However, the range of energy balance closure values is rather large, and can be even quite variable at a given location. The implications for this bias are compelling for specific issues such as water and carbon dioxide (CO2) budgets. At present, there remains no general agreement as to the causes of the bias, or what if anything to do in response.