MODULE DEVELOPMENT TO STUDY ENERGY BALANCE AT THE AIRLAND INTERFACE

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MODULE DEVELOPMENT TO STUDY ENERGY BALANCE AT THE
AIR/LAND INTERFACE
Earth System Science Education for the 21st
Century (ESSE 21) Annual Meeting
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
3 - 6 August 2005
Presented by Randal L. N. Mandock, Ph.D.
ESSE 21 Principal Investigator
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
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MODULE DESCRIPTION
GUI graphically models energy balance components
Energy balance diagram consists of
Sky elements sun, moon, clouds
Line or box representing air/surface interface
Arrows to indicate magnitude and direction of
fluxes 33 model scenarios vary by Climate or m
icroclimate Day and night Cloudiness and sunsh
ine Windy and calm conditions Land or water su
rface Freezing and nonfreezing temperatures
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MODULE DESCRIPTION
Links to real-time meteorological data are being
developed AEMN Unisys Weather Weather Under
ground NWS Link to AEMN tested this year in the
"Introduction to Earth System Science" course.
Use of module in course essential for completing
assigned energy balance project.
AEMN Georgia Automated Environmental Monito
ring Network
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GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
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REAL DATA
Module incorporates not only theoretical elements
but measured data
Surface wind speed and direction
Air temperature Relative humidity Atmospheric pr
essure Insolation Rainfall rate Subsurface temp
erature profile
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
Purpose Infer energy fluxes for one AEMN surface
meteorology site Day and night scenarios for unif
orm ground cover Explore consequences of earth-su
n relationships
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
Method Go to AEMN web site at http//www.griffin.
peachnet.edu/bae/ Click on assigned station on ma
p of Georgia Click on "Graph Daily" Explain peak
in July and dip in January for
Air temperature Soil temperature at all depths
Evapotranspiration Solar radiation
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
Method Print out "Current Conditions" for assigne
d site Run Energy Balance Module for current cond
itions Estimate magnitude and direction of these
fluxes Net radiation flux Sensible heat flux
Latent heat flux Ground heat flux Verify
that solar radiation is zero at night
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
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PROJECT ENERGY BALANCE AT AEMN SITES
RESULTS 96 non-science majors found the project n
early impossible without first conducting module
simulations of environmental scenarios. Students
conducted daytime and nighttime model scenarios
and were able to successfully infer energy fluxes
from AEMN current environmental conditions.
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TREE HUGGER
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