Estimation of sensible heat flux at a tropical location: a performance evaluation of half-order time derivative method

• Published in: Modeling earth systems and environment 2019-12, Vol.5 (4), p.1215-1220
• Main Authors: Sunmonu, Lukman A., Olufemi, Ayodele P., Abiye, Olawale E., Babatunde, Oladimeji A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerodynamics; Air quality; Air temperature; Atmospheric models; Benchmarks; Chemistry and Earth Sciences; Components; Computer Science; Covariance; Daytime; Diurnal; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth System Sciences; Ecosystems; Energy balance; Energy measurement; Enthalpy; Environment; Equipment costs; Fluctuations; Heat; Heat flux; Heat transfer; Hydrologic models; Hydrology; Hygrometers; Instrumentation; Krypton; Math. Appl. in Environmental Science; Mathematical Applications in the Physical Sciences; Night; Night-time; Nighttime; Performance evaluation; Physics; Review Article; Root-mean-square errors; Sensible heat; Sensible heat transfer; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Statistics for Engineering; Surface cooling; Surface energy; Surface properties; Temperature; Tropical climate; Turbulence; Weather forecasting
• ISSN: 2363-6203; 2363-6211
• DOI: 10.1007/s40808-019-00638-3

Measurement of surface energy balance (SEB) components such as sensible heat flux is a very fundamental input in weather forecast, hydrological, and air quality models among many other applications. The instrumentation for measuring SEB components is however resource-intensive and highly susceptible to damage under field-experiment conditions. A simple, less equipment-intensive, cost-effective, and relatively accurate method is thus required to overcome these setbacks. The present study, therefore evaluates the performance of a rather simple half-order time derivative (HTD) method in estimating sensible heat flux at a tropical location in West Africa (Ile-Ife, Nigeria 7°33′N, 4°33′E). HTD estimates of sensible heat flux were made from near surface atmospheric parameters measured during Phase I of the Nigerian Micrometeorological Experiment. At the same site, direct turbulence flux measurements from an eddy covariance system comprising a 3-D ultrasonic anemometer (USA-1) and a krypton hygrometer (KH20) were used as standard benchmark values for the HTD performance evaluation. Within a diurnal air temperature range of 18–34 °C, estimated daytime sensible heat flux reached a peak of 318.7 W m −2 and a lowest nighttime value of − 15.8 W m −2 , indicating surface cooling. Statistical tests performed; mean bias error (MBE