
Title: The micrometeorology of a high Arctic site
Author: Lloyd, Colin Roger
Awarding Body: University of Edinburgh
Current Institution: University of Edinburgh
Date of Award: 2001
Availability of Full Text:
Access from EThOS:
Full text unavailable from EThOS. Please try the link below.
Access from Institution:
This study addresses the role of polar semi-deserts in land-atmosphere exchange processes by characterising a typical high arctic polar semi-desert site in terms of the major micrometeorological parameters that control and interact with the exchange of energy and carbon dioxide between the soil, vegetation and atmosphere. During 1995 and 1996 at a field site near Ny-Ǻlesund, Svalbard, surface fluxes of radiation balance, evaporation, sensible heat, momentum and carbon dioxide were measured during the active period between spring snowmelt and late summer freeze-up. Eddy correlation systems were used to measure the fluxes of water vapour, sensible heat, momentum and carbon dioxide. Radiation and climatic variable measurements augmented the flux measurements and provided longer term continuity and driving data for modelling purposes. The two active seasons were markedly different with a much shorter active season in 1996 due to a very late snowmelt onset. The season in 1996 was also cloudier. The aerodynamic roughness length was 3.5mm and the average aerodynamic resistance was 70 sm-1. Average surface resistance was calculated to be 97 sm-1 in 1995 and 34 sm-1 in 1996. The energy budget showed different partitions of latent and sensible heat at different times of the active season. Sensible heat was small and occasionally negative during the snowmelt period with the majority of the net radiation being used to melt the snowpack. In the 1995 active season, latent heat flux of 229 MJ m-2 was 40 per cent of net radiation. Sensible heat flux was 35 per cent (194 MJ m-2) leading to an evaporative ratio close to 0.5. In the shorter active season in 1996, latent heat flux increased to 55 per cent (105 MJ m-2) of net radiation with sensible heat flux reducing to 27 per cent (50 MJ m-2), leading to the much higher evaporative ratio of 0.68.
Supervisor: Not available Sponsor: Not available
Qualification Name: Thesis (Ph.D.) Qualification Level: Doctoral
EThOS ID:  DOI: Not available