V. P. Kukharets and L. R. Tsvang
Oboukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyzhevskii per. 3, Moscow, 109017 Russia
Received November 13, 1997; in final form, June 26, 1998
Abstract—The results of measurements of the components of the heat balance equation for the land surface
and of time variations in land surface temperature are given. It is shown that the daily regime of the exchange
between the atmosphere and the underlying surface is essentially nonstationary. In this connection, the authors
propose that, instead of the heat balance equation, the heat influx equation should be used in studying heat bal-
ance. The heat influx equation takes into account variations in the heat content of the lower atmospheric surface
layer and a thin (3–5 cm) soil layer, which can range up to 30% of the value of the radiation balance during
daylight hours. It is also shown that, when the layer between the land surface and the level at which an instru-
ment is mounted to measure the heat flux into the soil is taken into account, the value of the recorded imbalance
in the heat influx reduces by 4%. The employment of the BREB (Bowen Ratio Energy Balance) method, based
on the use of the surface heat balance equation for stationary conditions without taking into account variations
in land surface temperature, may result in an error up to 40% in determining the values of turbulent heat and
humidity fluxes.
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