Title: Analysis and modelling of turbulent fluxes in two different ecosystems in Argentina

Authors: Ana Graciela Ulke; Natalia Noemí Gattinoni; Gabriela Posse

Addresses: Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y los Océanos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Unidad Mixta Internacional, Instituto Franco Argentino sobre Estudios de Clima y sus Impactos, (IFAECI)/CNRS, Argentina ' Instituto de Clima y Agua, INTA, N. Repetto y los Reseros s/n, Hurlingham, B1686, Buenos Aires, Argentina ' Instituto de Clima y Agua, INTA, N. Repetto y los Reseros s/n, Hurlingham, B1686, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract: Turbulence data measured with fast response instruments at two sites with distinct conditions were available. The ability of a mesoscale model in the simulation of turbulent fluxes and boundary layer height was assessed in case studies covering periods in the Southern Hemisphere summer and winter. The energy apportionment at both locations was properly reproduced. In summer, at the site with native forest, the sensible heat flux was well estimated and the latent heat flux was underestimated. At the other site (commercial plantation) the sensible heat flux was properly represented and the latent heat flux was slightly overestimated. In winter, the best results were obtained at the implanted forest site. The performance of the model at the native forest site was very satisfactory when homogeneous initial soil moisture was considered. A model intercomparison between the boundary layer height obtained with an analytical model and the mesoscale model showed the influence of data and methodologies used in the two approaches.

Keywords: turbulent fluxes; mixing height; mesoscale models; analytical models; turbulence modelling; ecosystems; Argentina; simulation; native forests; sensible heat flux; latent heat flux; commercial plantations; soil moisture; boundary layer height.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2015.076583

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2015 Vol.58 No.1/2, pp.52 - 62

Received: 19 Dec 2014
Accepted: 07 Oct 2015
Published online: 16 May 2016 *

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