A24D-07
Analysis of Global Terrestrial Energy Budget Closure Using Satellite-Derived Estimates

Tuesday, 15 December 2015: 17:30
3004 (Moscone West)
Amanda Siemann1, Gabriele Coccia1, Nathaniel Chaney2, Diego G. Miralles3, Carlos Jimenez4, Matthew McCabe5 and Eric F Wood1, (1)Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States, (2)Princeton University, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton, NJ, United States, (3)Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, (4)Estellus, Paris, France, (5)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
Understanding the partitioning of available energy into sensible and latent heat fluxes, the mean states and variability of the fluxes, and the extent and variability of surface energy budget closure is paramount to an understanding of regional climate. A focal point of WCRP’s Global Energy and Water Exchange (GEWEX) Data Assessment Panel (GDAP) LandFlux activities is the development of latent heat flux data products. The development of a long-term sensible heat flux data product has been limited by the parameterization for aerodynamic resistances, including stability of the boundary layer, surface roughness, and poor measurements of the surface temperature gradient.

This study will analyze the global terrestrial energy budget closure using consistent satellite-derived data products. The sensible heat data product is formed using a 1979-2009 hourly, 0.5 degree resolution land surface temperature (LST) product based on merging CFSR estimates with High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) observations to be consistent with HIRS. These LST data are also used to estimate surface emitted longwave radiation and net radiation. The parameterization of the aerodynamic resistance is based on optimized values using data at 70 FluxNet towers and extended globally through an objective analysis based on climate and land cover covariates. Multiple reanalysis-based air temperature estimates are used to form the surface temperature gradient and create an ensemble of global terrestrial sensible heat estimates. The latent heat flux estimates from LandFlux and remotely-sensed satellite surface radiation data products are combined with the sensible heat estimates to assess surface energy budget closure at various spatial and temporal scales, including the assessment of spatial, seasonal and inter-annual variability of the Bowen ratio and the size of the residual of the budget relative to the available energy.

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