Multi-Scale Surface Fluxes. Scale relationship and PBL dependence

We present results of an intercomparison exercise measuring surface fluxes of sensible heat by means of two different methodologies Eddy-Covariance (EC) and Large Aperture Scintillometer (LAS). We conducted experiments during summer on three ecosystems: Arctic tundra, Boreal Forest and Agricultural fields in Interior of Alaska.

We found the turbulent fluxes captured by EC instruments compared to LAS to be a variable fraction. This relationship was shown to have some dependence with the fluxes footprint and also with the planetary boundary layer (PBL) structure. Furthermore, flux-scale relationships can be used as closure argument connecting surface fluxes to mesoscale modeling and satellite remote sensing platforms in the retrieval of area-average surface fluxes.