16th Conference on Hydrology
13th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations

J1.8

Land-Atmosphere Interactions at the Norman Mesonet Site

Jeffrey B. Basara, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; and K. C. Crawford

Soil moisture modulates the exchange of mass and energy between the atmosphere and the land surface. This study focuses on the relationship between soil moisture and atmospheric processes at and near the Norman Mesonet site using both automated and field samples of hydrologic and atmospheric parameters. The results indicate that, on days with strong radiative forcing and weak shear in the lower troposphere, soil water content in the root-zone was linearly correlated with daily-maximum values of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux. In addition, soil water content in the root-zone was linearly correlated with air temperature and humidity at 1.5 meters, potential temperature and humidity in the 850-900 mb layer, and depth of the planetary boundary layer. Conversely, the relationship between atmospheric parameters and soil water in the surface layer was weak and nonlinear.

Joint Session 1, land-atmosphere interactions: Part I (Joint with the 16th Conference on Hydrology and the 13th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations)
Monday, 14 January 2002, 9:30 AM-4:58 PM

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