Characteristics of summer-time energy exchange in a high Arctic tundra heath 2000-2010

Global warming will bring about changes in surface energy balance of Arctic ecosystems, which will have implications for ecosystem structure and functioning, as well as for climate system feedback mechanisms. In this study, we present a unique, long-term (2000-2010) record of summer-time energy bala...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
Main Authors: Lund, Magnus, Hansen, Birger U., Pedersen, Stine H., Stiegler, Christian, Tamstorf, Mikkel P.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis 2014
Subjects:
Physical Geography
energy budget
energy balance
Arctic
sensible heat
latent heat
ground heat
net radiation
climate change
global warming
Greenland
Climate change
Global warming
Tundra
Zackenberg
Online Access:https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4591737
https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v66.21631
Description
Summary:Global warming will bring about changes in surface energy balance of Arctic ecosystems, which will have implications for ecosystem structure and functioning, as well as for climate system feedback mechanisms. In this study, we present a unique, long-term (2000-2010) record of summer-time energy balance components (net radiation, R-n; sensible heat flux, H; latent heat flux, LE; and soil heat flux, G) from a high Arctic tundra heath in Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland. This area has been subjected to strong summer-time warming with increasing active layer depths (ALD) during the last decades. We observe high energy partitioning into H, low partitioning into LE and high Bowen ratio (beta = H/LE) compared with other Arctic sites, associated with local climatic conditions dominated by onshore winds, slender vegetation with low transpiration activity and relatively dry soils. Surface saturation vapour pressure deficit (D-s) was found to be an important variable controlling within-year surface energy partitioning. Throughout the study period, we observe increasing H/R-n and LE/R-n and decreasing G/R-n and beta, related to increasing ALD and decreasing soil wetness. Thus, changes in summer-time surface energy balance partitioning in Arctic ecosystems may be of importance for the climate system.

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