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www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/6/4619/2009/
doi:10.5194/hessd-6-4619-2009
© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Estimating surface fluxes over middle and upper streams of the Heihe River Basin with ASTER imagery
1Laboratory for Climate Environment and Disasters of Western China, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
2Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
3International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, Enschede, The Netherlands
4Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Abstract. Surface fluxes are important boundary conditions for climatological modeling and the Asian monsoon system. Recent availability of high-resolution, multi-band imagery from the ASTER (Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) sensor has enabled us to estimate surface fluxes to bridge the gap between local scale flux measurements using micrometeorological instruments and regional scale land-atmosphere exchanges of water and heat fluxes that are fundamental for the understanding of the water cycle in the Asian monsoon system. A Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) method based on ASTER data and field observations has been proposed and tested for deriving net radiation flux (Rn), soil heat flux (G0), sensible heat flux (H) and latent heat flux (λ E) over heterogeneous land surface in this paper. As a case study, the methodology was applied to the experimental area of the WATER (Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research), located at the mid-to-upstream sections of the Heihe River, northwest China. The ASTER data of 3 May and 4 June in 2008 was used in this paper for the case of mid-to-upstream sections of the Heihe River Basin. To validate the proposed methodology, the ground-measured land surface heat fluxes (net radiation flux (Rn), soil heat flux (G0), sensible heat flux (H) and latent heat flux (λ E)) were compared to the ASTER derived values. The results show that the derived surface variables and land surface heat fluxes in different months over the study area are in good accordance with the land surface status. It is therefore concluded that the proposed methodology is successful for the retrieval of land surface heat fluxes using the ASTER data and filed observation over the study area.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 1135 KB) Interactive Discussion (Final Response, 8 Comments) Manuscript under review for HESS
Citation: Ma, W., Ma, Y., Hu, Z., Su, B., Wang, J., and Ishikawa, H.: Estimating surface fluxes over middle and upper streams of the Heihe River Basin with ASTER imagery, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 6, 4619-4635, doi:10.5194/hessd-6-4619-2009, 2009. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
