Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain
Measurements of environmental variables are often used to validate and calibrate physically-based models. Depending on their application, the models are used at different scales, ranging from few meters to tens of kilometers. Environmental variables can vary strongly within the grid cells of these m...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a3c2ae8549634ee98ef5300cc470e5c2 2023-05-15T17:58:05+02:00 Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain S. Gubler J. Fiddes M. Keller S. Gruber 2011-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 https://doaj.org/article/a3c2ae8549634ee98ef5300cc470e5c2 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/431/2011/tc-5-431-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a3c2ae8549634ee98ef5300cc470e5c2 The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 2, Pp 431-443 (2011) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 2022-12-31T05:54:16Z Measurements of environmental variables are often used to validate and calibrate physically-based models. Depending on their application, the models are used at different scales, ranging from few meters to tens of kilometers. Environmental variables can vary strongly within the grid cells of these models. Validating a model with a single measurement is therefore delicate and susceptible to induce bias in further model applications. To address the question of uncertainty associated with scale in permafrost models, we present data of 390 spatially-distributed ground surface temperature measurements recorded in terrain of high topographic variability in the Swiss Alps. We illustrate a way to program, deploy and refind a large number of measurement devices efficiently, and present a strategy to reduce data loss reported in earlier studies. Data after the first year of deployment is presented. The measurements represent the variability of ground surface temperatures at two different scales ranging from few meters to some kilometers. On the coarser scale, the dependence of mean annual ground surface temperature on elevation, slope, aspect and ground cover type is modelled with a multiple linear regression model. Sampled mean annual ground surface temperatures vary from −4 °C to 5 °C within an area of approximately 16 km 2 subject to elevational differences of approximately 1000 m. The measurements also indicate that mean annual ground surface temperatures vary up to 6 °C (i.e., from −2 °C to 4 °C) even within an elevational band of 300 m. Furthermore, fine-scale variations can be high (up to 2.5 °C) at distances of less than 14 m in homogeneous terrain. The effect of this high variability of an environmental variable on model validation and applications in alpine regions is discussed. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles The Cryosphere 5 2 431 443 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 S. Gubler J. Fiddes M. Keller S. Gruber Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Measurements of environmental variables are often used to validate and calibrate physically-based models. Depending on their application, the models are used at different scales, ranging from few meters to tens of kilometers. Environmental variables can vary strongly within the grid cells of these models. Validating a model with a single measurement is therefore delicate and susceptible to induce bias in further model applications. To address the question of uncertainty associated with scale in permafrost models, we present data of 390 spatially-distributed ground surface temperature measurements recorded in terrain of high topographic variability in the Swiss Alps. We illustrate a way to program, deploy and refind a large number of measurement devices efficiently, and present a strategy to reduce data loss reported in earlier studies. Data after the first year of deployment is presented. The measurements represent the variability of ground surface temperatures at two different scales ranging from few meters to some kilometers. On the coarser scale, the dependence of mean annual ground surface temperature on elevation, slope, aspect and ground cover type is modelled with a multiple linear regression model. Sampled mean annual ground surface temperatures vary from −4 °C to 5 °C within an area of approximately 16 km 2 subject to elevational differences of approximately 1000 m. The measurements also indicate that mean annual ground surface temperatures vary up to 6 °C (i.e., from −2 °C to 4 °C) even within an elevational band of 300 m. Furthermore, fine-scale variations can be high (up to 2.5 °C) at distances of less than 14 m in homogeneous terrain. The effect of this high variability of an environmental variable on model validation and applications in alpine regions is discussed. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
S. Gubler J. Fiddes M. Keller S. Gruber |
author_facet |
S. Gubler J. Fiddes M. Keller S. Gruber |
author_sort |
S. Gubler |
title |
Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
title_short |
Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
title_full |
Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
title_fullStr |
Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
title_full_unstemmed |
Scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
title_sort |
scale-dependent measurement and analysis of ground surface temperature variability in alpine terrain |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 https://doaj.org/article/a3c2ae8549634ee98ef5300cc470e5c2 |
genre |
permafrost The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
permafrost The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 2, Pp 431-443 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/431/2011/tc-5-431-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a3c2ae8549634ee98ef5300cc470e5c2 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-431-2011 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
431 |
op_container_end_page |
443 |
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1766166614572531712 |