Deep valley radiation and surface energy budget microclimates. Part II: Energy Budget
- Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington (US)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington
Surface energy budget measurements were made concurrently at five sites located on the valley floor, sidewalls and ridgetop of Colorado's 650-m deep Brush Creek Valley (39{degree}32{prime}N, 108{degree}24{prime}W) on the nearly clear day of 25 September 1984 using the Bowen ratio energy budget technique. Daily average surface heat flux values for a natural sagebrush ecosystem on the floor of the semiarid valley included an input of 109 W m{sup {minus}2} net all-wave radiation and 15 W m{sup {minus}2} ground heat flux, and a loss of 48 W m{sup {minus}2} latent heat flux and 76 W m{sup {minus}2} sensible heat flux. Significant differences in instantaneous, daily, and daytime fluxes occurred from site to site as a function of slope aspect and inclination angles and surface properties, including vegetation cover and soil moisture. Strong contrasts in instantaneous latent and sensible heat fluxes occurred between the opposing northeast- and southwest-facing sidewalls of the valley as solar insolation varied through the course of the day and as shadows propagated across the valley. This differential heating and moistening of the air above the opposing slopes produces cross valley circulations and the resulting moisture and heat transports observed by other investigators.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5411225
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Meteorology; (USA), Vol. 28:6; ISSN 0894-8763
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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