Abstract
A novel non-gradient model is formulated for estimating gas fluxes using
single-level time-series data of near-surface gas concentration over
land surfaces. When the vertical turbulent transport process in the
atmospheric surface layer is described by a one-dimensional diffusion
equation, a gas flux is expressed as a weighted integral of the
time-history of single-level gas concentration. The eddy-diffusivity may
be parameterized as a function of sensible heat flux based on the
Monin-Obukhov similarity theory without explicit dependence on wind
speed and surface roughness. Sensible heat flux may be estimated from
net radiation and surface temperature using the maximum entropy
production model. Case studies at six sites with diverse vegetation
covers, geographic and climatic conditions at sub-daily scale
demonstrate the model’s ability to simulate diurnal variations of water
vapor and CO2 fluxes using fewer inputs than other
models. Good performance of the model at seasonal scale suggests that
the proposed model is a promising tool for the assessment of annual
water and carbon budgets over vegetated land surfaces.