Title: Surface fluxes and atmospheric stability obtained from a surface energy balance model with parameters estimated from satellite remote sensing

Authors: Koen De Ridder, Clemens Mensink

Addresses: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito), Centre for Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Processes, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium. Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito), Centre for Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Processes, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium

Abstract: Surface fluxes and atmospheric stability affect atmospheric dispersion through their impact on low-level turbulence, mixing layer height, and mesoscale circulation patterns. In the first part of this paper, a sensitivity study is performed to demonstrate the impact of the land surface on energy fluxes and atmospheric stability. In the second part, a methodology to estimate surface heat fluxes and stability is presented. The method is based on the combined use of a surface energy balance model and satellite remote sensing of green vegetation cover and surface soil moisture, and requires either standard single-level meteorological data, or the use of a mesoscale meteorological model.

Keywords: atmospheric stability; satellite remote sensing; surface heat fluxes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2003.003308

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2003 Vol.19 No.1, pp.22 - 31

Published online: 21 Aug 2003 *

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