• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.222-233
• /
• 2012

The nocturnal low-level jet makes a significant impact on carbon and water exchanges and turbulent mixing processes in the atmospheric boundary layer. This study reports a case study of nocturnal surface fluxes such as $CO_2$ and water vapor in the surface layer observed at a flat and homogeneous site in the presence of low-level jets (LLJs). In particular, it documents the temporal evolution of the overlying jets and the coincident response of surface fluxes. The present study highlights several factors linking the evolution of low-level jets to surface fluxes: 1) wavelet analysis shows that turbulent fluxes have similar time scales with temporal scale of LLJ evolution; 2) turbulent mixing is enhanced during the transition period of low-level jets; and 3) $CO_2$, water vapor and heat show dissimilarity from momentum during the period. We also found that LLJ activity is related not only to turbulent motions but also to the divergence of mean flow. An examination of scalar profiles and turbulence data reveal that LLJs transport $CO_2$ and water vapor by advection in the stable boundary layer, suggesting that surface fluxes obtained from the micrometeorological method such as nocturnal boundary layer budget technique should carefully interpreted in the presence of LLJs.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.27-38
• /
• 2009

The multi-level profile system is designed to measure the vertical profile of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ concentrations in the surface layer to estimate the storage effects within the plant canopy. It is suitable for long-term experiments and can be used also in advection studies for estimating the spatial variability and vertical gradients in concentration. It enables the user to calculate vertical fluxes of water vapor, $CO_2$ and other trace gases using the surface layer similarity theory and to infer their sources or sinks. The profile system described in this report includes the following components: sampling system, calibration and flow control system, closed path infrared gas analyzer(IRGA), vacuum pump and a datalogger. The sampling system draws air from 8 inlets into the IRGA in a sequence, so that for 80 seconds air from all levels is measured. The calibration system, controlled by the datalogger, compensates for any deviations in the calibration of the IRGA by using gas sources with known concentrations. The datalogger switches the corresponding valves, measures the linearized voltages from the IRGA, calculates the concentrations for each monitoring level, performs statistical analysis and stores the final data. All critical components are mounted in an environmental enclosure and can operate with little maintenance over long periods of time. This report, as a practical manual, is designed to provide helpful information for those who are interested in using profile system to measure evapotranspiration and net ecosystem exchanges in complex terrain.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.227-235
• /
• 2015

Using eddy covariance method, net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ ($F_{CO_2}$), $H_2O$ (LE), and sensible heat (H) can be approximated as the sum of eddy flux ($F_c$) and storage flux term ($F_s$). Depending on strength and distribution of sink/source of scalars and magnitude of vertical turbulence mixing, the rates of changes in scalars are different with height. In order to calculate $F_s$ accurately, the differences should be considered using scalar profile measurement. However, most of flux sites for agricultural lands in Asia do not operate profile system and estimate $F_s$ using single-level scalars from eddy covariance system under the assumption that the rates of changes in scalars are constant regardless of the height. In this study, we measured $F_c$ and $F_s$ of $CO_2$, $H_2O$, and air temperature ($T_a$) using eddy covariance and profile system (i.e., the multi-level measurement system in scalars from eddy covariance measurement height to the land surface) at the Chengmicheon farmland site in Korea (CFK) in order to quantify the differences between $F_s$ calculated by single-level measurements ($F_s_{-single}$ i.e., $F_s$ from scalars measured by profile system only at eddy covariance system measurement height) and $F_s$ calculated by profile measurements and verify the errors of NEE caused by $F_s_{-single}$. The rate of change in $CO_2$, $H_2O$, and Ta were varied with height depending on the magnitudes and distribution of sink and source and the stability in the atmospheric boundary layer. Thus, $F_s_{-single}$ underestimated or overestimated $F_s$ (especially 21% underestimation in $F_s$ of $CO_2$ around sunrise and sunset (0430-0800 h and 1630-2000 h)). For $F_{CO_2}$, the errors in $F_s_{-single}$ generated 3% and 2% underestimation of $F_{CO_2}$ during nighttime (2030-0400 h) and around sunrise and sunset, respectively. In the process of nighttime correction and partitioning of $F_{CO_2}$, these differences would cause an underestimation in carbon balance at the rice paddy. In contrast, there were little differences at the errors in LE and H caused by the error in $F_s_{-single}$, irrespective of time.