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Understanding land surface physical processes in the Arctic

Cel


To better understand the basic processes underlying the balance of water, energy, carbon dioxide and methane for Arctic land surfaces through a programme of measurements and modelling; to incorporate the knowledge gained into improved descriptions of Arctic land surfaces within climate models and thereby gain understanding of the possible effects of climate change on the energy, water carbon dioxide and methane balances of Arctic ecosystems.


The measurements are carried out in the European Arctic region at Ny-Aelesund (Svalbard), Kaamanen/Kevo
(N.Finland) and Zackenberg/Disko Island (Greenland). During the experimental phase, sensors will operate
either continuously or for substantial periods from before the thaw through the summer period. A common
programme of measurements at each site will quantify the partition of incoming solar energy into sensible heat,
latent heat and soil heat and moisture fluxes and will also quantify the carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in
response to the changing energy and soil moisture conditions. To evaluate and quantify the measurement
precision and accuracy at these diverse sites, a measurement intercomparison experiment will be conducted at
a spatially inhomogeneous field site in northern Finland.
The measurement programme will be used to modify, develop and improve existing one-dimensional descriptions
of the soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) scheme. Effort will be directed towards improving the UK
Meteorological Office/IH MITRE SVAT model. The net carbon balance and methane emissions in terms of
temperature, moisture, insolation and surface heterogeneity will be modelled including the methane transport
in soils and via plant pathways to the atmosphere. An analytical three dimensional terrain model will be
developed to describe the Greenland sites and yield information on the radiation and energy balance. The model
will be developed to include meteorological controls on snow deposition and melting and the influence of
marked changes in albedo on radiation, energy and water balances and carbon dioxide and methane fluxes.
The soil moisture measurements will be used to improve some aspects of the Nordic-HBV hydrological model
such as the description of the unsaturated zone and groundwater in the presence of permafrost. The Nordic-HBV
model will be calibrated by the catchment characteristics of the northern Finland sites derived and parameterised
by a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Zaproszenie do składania wniosków

Data not available

System finansowania

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Koordynator

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
Wkład UE
Brak danych
Adres
Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford
OX10 8BB WALLINGFORD
Zjednoczone Królestwo

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Linki
Koszt całkowity
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Uczestnicy (4)