Estimation of daytime radiative and soil heat fluxes at Trombay, Bombay (19.1° N, 72.8° E) using routine weather data

Summary

This note presents estimates of hourly averages of insolation, net radiation and soil heat flux during daytime from solar-elevation angle and routine weather data on cloud cover and screen level air temperature using a formulation procedure generally adopted in surface layer parametrisation schemes. The estimation procedure employs commonly used forms of empirical relationships and the estimates are compared with the concurrent field observations at Trombay site in Bombay (19.1° N, 72.8° E) India. Wherever possible site-specific empirical coefficients are derived. Using the observed insolation, the net radiation and soil heat flux are respectively estimated within ±18% and ±14% of their observed values. Estimated insolation was found to be within ±37% of the observed values and, when used to derive the fluxes, the uncertainty increases to ±25% and ±27%, respectively.