Abstract
Soil texture can be heterogeneous; however for land surface-atmospheric modeling purposes, it is often considered homogeneous at a particular point and described by empirical equations which have been formulated to describe ‘average’ hydraulic and thermodynamic processes in the soil. Large deviations in the variables and coefficients used in these empirical equations have been previously documented. One of the coefficients is varied by plus-and-minus one standard deviation about its mean, and tested in a coupled atmospheric-plant-soil model. Results of model simulations show that the effects on surface fluxes and boundary-layer development are larges for dry to moderate values of soil moisture, particularly for bare soil conditions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramopoulos, F., Rosenweig, C., and Choudbury, B.: 1988 ‘Improved Ground Hydrology Calculations for Global Climate Models (GCMs): Soil Water Movement and Evapotraspiration’,J. Climate 1, 921.
Ács, R., Mihailocic' D. T., and Rajkovic', B.: 1991, ‘A Coupled Soil Moisture and Surface Temperature Prediction Model’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 30, 812–822.
Al Nakshabandi, G. and Kohnke, H.: 1965, ‘Thermal Conductivity and Diffusivity of Soils as Related to Moisture Tension and other Physical Properties’,Agric. Meteorol. 2, 271–279.
André, J.-C., Goutorbe, J.-P., Perrier, A., Cuenca, R. H., Mahrt, L., and collaborators: 1988, ‘HAPEX-MOBILHY: First Results from the Special Observing Period’,Ann. Geophysicae ser. B6(5), 477–492.
Avissar, R.: 1992, ‘Conceptual Aspects of a Statistical-Dynamic Approach to Represent Landscape Subgrid-Scale Heterogeneities in Atmospheric Models’,J. Geophys. Res. 97, ND3. 2729–2742.
Avissar, R. and Pielke, R. A.: 1989, A Parameterization of Heterogeneous Land Surfaces for Atmospheric Numerical-Models and Its Impact on Regional Meteorology’,Mon. Wea. Rev. 117, 2113–2136.
Bessemoulin, P., Desroziers, G., Payen, M., and Tarrieu, C.: 1987, ‘Atlas des données SAMER. Programme HAPEX-MOBILHY’, Technical Report, EERM, 1987. (A quick look of the SAMER data during HAPEX-MOBILHY.) [Available from CNRM, 42, Avenue Coriolis, 31057 Toulouse Cedex, France].
Bougeault, P., Noilhan, J., Lacarère, P., and Mascart, P.: 1991, ‘An Experiment with an Advanced Surface Parameterization in a Mesobeta-Scale Model. Part I: Implementation’,Mon. Wea. Rev. 119, 2358–2373.
Brutsaert, W. and Parlange, M. B.: 1992, ‘The Unstable Surface Layer above Forest: Regionai Evaporation and Heat Flux’,Water Resources Res. 28, 3129–3134.
Campbell, G. S.: 1974, ‘A Simple Method for Determining Unsaturated Conductivity from Moisture Retention Data’,Soil Sci. 117, 311–314.
Clapp, R. B. and Hornberger, G. M.: 1978, ‘Empirical Equations for Some Soil Hydraulic Properties’,Water Resour. Res. 14, 601–604.
Cosby, B. J., Hornberger, G. M., Clapp, R. B., and Ginn, T. R.: 1984, ‘A Statistical Exploration of the Relationship of Soil Moisture Characteristics to the Physical Properties of Soils,Water Resour. Res. 20, 682–690.
Dickinson, R. E., Henserson-Sellers, A., and Kennedy, P. J.: 1993, ‘Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS), Version le as Coupled to the NCAR Community Climate Model’. NCAR technical note, NCAR/TN- 387+STR, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 72 pp.
Ek, M. and Mahrt, L.: 1991, ‘A Model for Boundary-Layer Cloud Cover’,Ann. Geophys. 9, 716–724.
Ek, M. and Mahrt, L.: 1994, ‘Daytime Evolution of Relative Humidity at the Boundary-Layer Top’,Mon. Wea. Rev. (accepted)
Entekhabi, D. and Eagleson, P. S.: 1989, ‘Land-Surface Hydrology Parameterization for Atmospheric General Circulation Models Including Subgrid-Scale Spatial Variability’,J. Climate 2, 816–831.
Garratt, J. R.: 1992 ‘The Atmospheric Boundary Layer’, Cambridge University Press, New York, 316 pp.
Gash, J. H. C., Shuttleworth, W. J., Lloyd, C.R., André, J.-C., Goutorbe, J.-P. and Gelpe, J.: 1989, ‘Micrometeorological Measurements in Les Landes Forest during HAPEX-MOBILHY’,Agric. For. Meteorol. 46, 131–147.
Hildebrand, P. H.: 1988, ‘Flux and Sounding Data from the NCAR King Air Aircraft during HAPEX’, NCAR Technical Rept. TN-319, NCAR Boulder, CO 80307, USA.
Hillel, D.: 1980,Fundamentals of Soil Physics, Academic Press, New York, 413 pp.
Holtslag, A. A. M., de Bruijn, E. I. F., and Pan, H.-L.: 1990, ‘A High Resolution Air Mass Transformation Model for Short-Range Weather Forecasting’,Mon. Wea. Rev. 118, 1561–1575.
Holtslag, A. A. M. and Boville, B.: 1993, ‘Local Versus Nonlocal Boundary-Layer Diffusion in a Global Climate Model’,J. Climate 6, 1825–1842.
Holtslag, A. A. M. and Ek, M.: 1994, ‘The Simulation of Surface Fluxes and Boundary-Layer Development over the Pine Forest in HAPEX-MOBILHY’, submitted toJ. Appl. Meteorol.
Huang, X. and Lyons, T.: 1994, ‘On the Simulation of Surface Heat Fluxes in a Land Surface-Atmosphere Model’,J. Appl. Meteorol. (accepted)
Jacquemin, B. and Noilhan, J.: 1990, ‘Sensitivity Study and Validation of a Land Surface Parameterization Using the HAPEX-MOBILHY Data Set’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 52, 93–134.
Kondo, J., Saigusa, N., and Sato, T.: 1990, ‘A Parameterization of Evaporation from Bare Soil Surfaces’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 29, 385–389.
Mahrt, L.: 1991, ‘Boundary-Layer Moisture Regimes’,Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 117, 151–176.
Mahrt, L. and Ek, M.: 1993, ‘Spatial Variability of Turbulent Fluxes and Roughness Lengths in HAPEX-MOBLHY’,Boundary-Layer-Meteorol. 65, 381–400.
Mahrt, L. and Pan, H.-L.: 1984, ‘A Two-Layer Model of Soil Hydrology’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 29, 1–20.
Mascart, P., Taconet, O., Pinty, J.-P., and Ben Mehrez, M.: 1991, ‘Canopy Resistance Formulation and its Effect in Mesoscale Models: A HAPEX Perspective’Agric. Forest Meteorol. 54, 319–351.
McCumber, M. C. and Pielke, R. A.: 1981, ‘Simulation of the Effects of Surface Fluxes of Heat and Moisture in a Mesoscale Numerical Model. 1. Soil Layer’,J. Geophys. Res. 86, C10, 9929–9938.
Noilhan, J. and Planton, S.: 1989, ‘A Simple Parameterization of Land Surface Processes for Meteorological Models’,Mon. Wea. Rev. 117, 536–549.
Pan, H.-L. and Mahrt, L.: 1987, ‘Interaction Between Soil Hydrology and Boundary-Layer Development’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 38, 185–202.
Pinty, J.-P., Mascart, P. Richard, E., and Rosset, R.: 1989, ‘An Investigation of Mesoscale Flows Induced by Vegetation Inhomogeneities Using an Evaporation Model Calibrated Against HAPEX-MOBILHY Data’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 28, 976–992.
Schädler, G.: 1990, ‘Triggering of Atmospheric Circulations by Moisture Inhomogeneities of the Earth's Surface’,Bound.-Layer Meteor. 51, 1–29.
Sellers, P. J., Mintz, Y., Sud, Y. C., and Dalcher, A.: 1986, ‘A Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) for Use Within General Circulation Models’,J. Atmos. Sci. 43, 505–531.
Siebert, J., Sievers, U., and Zdunkowski, W.: 1992, ‘A One-Dimensional Simulation of the Interaction Between Land Surface Proceses and the Atmosphere,Bound.-Layer Meteor. 59, 1–34.
Troen, I. and Mahrt, L.: 1986, ‘A Simple Model of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Sensitivity to Surface Evaporation,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 37, 129–148.
Vandenberg, J. A. and Louters, T.: 1988, ‘The Variability of Soil-Moisture Diffusivity of Loamy to Silty Soils on Marl, Determined by the Hot Air Method’,J Hydrol. 97, 235–250.
Wetzel, P. J. and Chang, J.-T.: 1987, ‘Concerning the Relationship between Evaporation and Soil Moisture’,J. Clim. Appl. Meteorol. 26, 18–27.
Wilson, M. F., Henderson-Sellers, A., Dickinson, R. E., and Kennedy, P. J.: 1987, ‘Sensitivity of the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) to the Inclusion of Variable Soil Characteristics’,Clim. Appl. Meteorol. 26, 341–362.
Zepp, H. and Belz, A.: 1992, ‘Sensitivity and Problems in Modeling Soil-Moisture Conditions’,J. Hydrol. 131, 227–238.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
EK, M., Cuenca, R.H. Variation in soil parameters: Implications for modeling surface fluxes and atmospheric boundary-layer development. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 70, 369–383 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713776
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713776