• Seasonal variation of evapotranspiration and its effect on the surface energy budget closure at a tropical forest over north-east India

• # Fulltext

https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jess/128/05/0127

• # Keywords

Eddy covariance; Indian summer monsoon; MetFlux India; surface energy budget; tropical forest; India.

• # Abstract

This study uses 1 yr of eddy covariance (EC) flux observations to investigate seasonal variations in evapotranspiration (ET) and surface energy budget (SEB) closure at a tropical semi-deciduous forest located in north-east India. The annual cycle is divided into four seasons, namely, pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter. The highest energy balance closure (76%) is observed during pre-monsoon, whereas the lowest level of closure (62%) is observed during winter. Intermediate closure of 68% and 72% is observed during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. Maximum latent heat flux during winter (150 W m$^{-2}$) is half of the maximum latent heat (300 W m$^{-2}$) flux during the monsoon. ET is a controlling factor of SEB closure, with the highest rates of closure corresponding to the periods of the highest ET. The Bowen ratio ranges from 0.93 in winter to 0.27 during the monsoon. This is the first time the role of ET in the seasonal variation of SEB closure has been reported for any ecosystem in north-east India using EC measurements.

• # Author Affiliations

1. Centre for Climate Change Research, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune 411 008, India.
2. Department of Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, India.
3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028, India.
4. Land Surface Science, Hydro-Climate Risks, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK.

• # Journal of Earth System Science

Current Issue
Volume 128 | Issue 8
December 2019

• # Editorial Note on Continuous Article Publication

Posted on July 25, 2019