Episodic and Mesoscale Contributions to Surface Fluxes over a Large Reservoir in Mississippi

Jackson State University has operated an eddy covariance flux station in the middle of Ross Barnett Reservoir (Mississippi) since 2007. Analysis of turbulent flux calculations from the site has shown a disproportionate contribution to the energy budget from episodic events such as cold frontal passages. To complement the flux site, which is 2 km from the nearest shoreline, additional observations have been obtained during various recent periods using a Doppler-on-Wheels, basic automated weather stations on shore, and mobile observations. These complementary observations comprise the project Coordinated Mesoscale Measurements in Mississippi (CM3), and are used to further characterize the mesoscale environment of the reservoir for its contribution to the four-dimensional variation of turbulent fluxes.