Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems

Kaniska Mallick; Erika Toivonen; Ivonne Trebs; Eva Boegh; James Cleverly; Derek Eamus; Harri Koivusalo; Darren Drewry; Stefan K. Arndt; Anne Griebel; Jason Beringer; Monica Garcia

doi:10.1029/2017WR021357

Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems

Kaniska Mallick
, Erika Toivonen
, Ivonne Trebs
, Eva Boegh
, James Cleverly
, Derek Eamus
, Harri Koivusalo
, Darren Drewry
, Stefan K. Arndt
, Anne Griebel
, Jason Beringer
, Monica Garcia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

55 Citations (Scopus)

214 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Thermal infrared sensing of evapotranspiration (E) through surface energy balance (SEB) models is challenging due to uncertainties in determining the aerodynamic conductance (g(A)) and due to inequalities between radiometric (T-R) and aerodynamic temperatures (T-0). We evaluated a novel analytical model, the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC1.2), that physically integrates T-R observations into a combined Penman-Monteith Shuttleworth-Wallace (PM-SW) framework for directly estimating E, and overcoming the uncertainties associated with T0 and gA determination. An evaluation of STIC1.2 against high temporal frequency SEB flux measurements across an aridity gradient in Australia revealed a systematic error of 10-52% in E from mesic to arid ecosystem, and low systematic error in sensible heat fluxes (H) (12-25%) in all ecosystems. Uncertainty in TR versus moisture availability relationship, stationarity assumption in surface emissivity, and SEB closure corrections in E were predominantly responsible for systematic E errors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. A discrete correlation (r) of the model errors with observed soil moisture variance (r = 0.33-0.43), evaporative index (r = 0.77-0.90), and climatological dryness (r = 0.60-0.77) explained a strong association between ecohydrological extremes and T-R in determining the error structure of STIC1.2 predicted fluxes. Being independent of any leaf-scale biophysical parameterization, the model might be an important value addition in working group (WG2) of the Australian Energy and Water Exchange (OzEWEX) research initiative which focuses on observations to evaluate and compare biophysical models of energy and water cycle components.

Plain Language Summary Evapotranspiration modeling and mapping in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are uncertain due to empirical approximation of surface and atmospheric conductances. Here we demonstrate the performance of a fully analytical model which is independent of any leaf-scale empirical parameterization of the conductances and can be potentially used for continental scale mapping of ecosystem water use as well as water stress using thermal remote sensing satellite data.d

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3409-3435
Number of pages	27
Journal	Water Resources Research
Volume	54
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2017WR021357
Publication status	Published - May 2018
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This study was funded by the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) under project BIOTRANS (project code 00001145). Partial funding for this research was provided through the FNR-DFG CAOS-2 project grant (INTER/DFG/14/02); and through HiWET (High-resolution modeling and monitoring of Water and Energy Transfers in wetland ecosystems) consortium funded by BELSPO and FNR under the programme STEREOIII (INTER/STEREOIII/13/03/HiWET; contract NR SR/00/301). We are grateful to all Australian and international collaborators, OzFlux PIs, and all the funding agencies that have contributed to establishing Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and Ozflux. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This work utilized data collected by grants funded by the Australian Research Council (DP0344744, DP0772981, DP120101735, DP130101566, and LE0882936). Jason Beringer is funded under an ARC Future Fellowship (FT110100602). DTD acknowledges support of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. KM designed the analysis; ET and KM performed the analysis; KM, ET, and IT developed the initial version of the manuscript; and all the coauthors make significant contribution in editing the manuscript. The authors declare no conflict of interests. Data used in the current analysis is available through the OzFlux data portal (http://data.ozflux.org.au/portal/pub/listPubCollections.jspx), and we have used data level-3 data that was available in csv format in the fluxnet repository (http://data.ozflux.org.au/portal/pub/viewColDetails.jspx?collection. id=1882723&collection.owner. id=450& viewType=anonymous).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

RADIOMETRIC SURFACE-TEMPERATURE
ENERGY-BALANCE CLOSURE
HEAT-FLUX
MEDITERRANEAN DRYLANDS
AERODYNAMIC RESISTANCE
2-SOURCE PERSPECTIVE
PRIESTLEY-TAYLOR
WATER-RESOURCES
LATENT-HEAT
EVAPORATION
aridity gradient
Australia
evapotranspiration
land surface temperature
Penman-Monteith
Shuttleworth-Wallace
surface energy balance
thermal infrared sensing

Access to Document

10.1029/2017WR021357

Mallick_et_al-2018-Water_Resources_ResearchFinal published version, 5.02 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Mallick, K., Toivonen, E., Trebs, I., Boegh, E., Cleverly, J., Eamus, D., Koivusalo, H., Drewry, D., Arndt, S. K., Griebel, A., Beringer, J., & Garcia, M. (2018). Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems. Water Resources Research, 54(5), 3409-3435. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017WR021357

@article{4333b300e1554a7b8ea73ca2af6d76c7,

title = "Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems",

abstract = "Thermal infrared sensing of evapotranspiration (E) through surface energy balance (SEB) models is challenging due to uncertainties in determining the aerodynamic conductance (g(A)) and due to inequalities between radiometric (T-R) and aerodynamic temperatures (T-0). We evaluated a novel analytical model, the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC1.2), that physically integrates T-R observations into a combined Penman-Monteith Shuttleworth-Wallace (PM-SW) framework for directly estimating E, and overcoming the uncertainties associated with T0 and gA determination. An evaluation of STIC1.2 against high temporal frequency SEB flux measurements across an aridity gradient in Australia revealed a systematic error of 10-52\% in E from mesic to arid ecosystem, and low systematic error in sensible heat fluxes (H) (12-25\%) in all ecosystems. Uncertainty in TR versus moisture availability relationship, stationarity assumption in surface emissivity, and SEB closure corrections in E were predominantly responsible for systematic E errors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. A discrete correlation (r) of the model errors with observed soil moisture variance (r = 0.33-0.43), evaporative index (r = 0.77-0.90), and climatological dryness (r = 0.60-0.77) explained a strong association between ecohydrological extremes and T-R in determining the error structure of STIC1.2 predicted fluxes. Being independent of any leaf-scale biophysical parameterization, the model might be an important value addition in working group (WG2) of the Australian Energy and Water Exchange (OzEWEX) research initiative which focuses on observations to evaluate and compare biophysical models of energy and water cycle components.Plain Language Summary Evapotranspiration modeling and mapping in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are uncertain due to empirical approximation of surface and atmospheric conductances. Here we demonstrate the performance of a fully analytical model which is independent of any leaf-scale empirical parameterization of the conductances and can be potentially used for continental scale mapping of ecosystem water use as well as water stress using thermal remote sensing satellite data.d",

keywords = "RADIOMETRIC SURFACE-TEMPERATURE, ENERGY-BALANCE CLOSURE, HEAT-FLUX, MEDITERRANEAN DRYLANDS, AERODYNAMIC RESISTANCE, 2-SOURCE PERSPECTIVE, PRIESTLEY-TAYLOR, WATER-RESOURCES, LATENT-HEAT, EVAPORATION, aridity gradient, Australia, evapotranspiration, land surface temperature, Penman-Monteith, Shuttleworth-Wallace, surface energy balance, thermal infrared sensing",

author = "Kaniska Mallick and Erika Toivonen and Ivonne Trebs and Eva Boegh and James Cleverly and Derek Eamus and Harri Koivusalo and Darren Drewry and Arndt, \{Stefan K.\} and Anne Griebel and Jason Beringer and Monica Garcia",

year = "2018",

month = may,

doi = "10.1029/2017WR021357",

language = "English",

volume = "54",

pages = "3409--3435",

journal = "Water Resources Research",

issn = "0043-1397",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "5",

}

Mallick, K, Toivonen, E, Trebs, I, Boegh, E, Cleverly, J, Eamus, D, Koivusalo, H, Drewry, D, Arndt, SK, Griebel, A, Beringer, J & Garcia, M 2018, 'Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems', Water Resources Research, vol. 54, no. 5, pp. 3409-3435. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017WR021357

Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems. / Mallick, Kaniska; Toivonen, Erika; Trebs, Ivonne et al.
In: Water Resources Research, Vol. 54, No. 5, 05.2018, p. 3409-3435.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems

AU - Mallick, Kaniska

AU - Toivonen, Erika

AU - Trebs, Ivonne

AU - Boegh, Eva

AU - Cleverly, James

AU - Eamus, Derek

AU - Koivusalo, Harri

AU - Drewry, Darren

AU - Arndt, Stefan K.

AU - Griebel, Anne

AU - Beringer, Jason

AU - Garcia, Monica

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - Thermal infrared sensing of evapotranspiration (E) through surface energy balance (SEB) models is challenging due to uncertainties in determining the aerodynamic conductance (g(A)) and due to inequalities between radiometric (T-R) and aerodynamic temperatures (T-0). We evaluated a novel analytical model, the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC1.2), that physically integrates T-R observations into a combined Penman-Monteith Shuttleworth-Wallace (PM-SW) framework for directly estimating E, and overcoming the uncertainties associated with T0 and gA determination. An evaluation of STIC1.2 against high temporal frequency SEB flux measurements across an aridity gradient in Australia revealed a systematic error of 10-52% in E from mesic to arid ecosystem, and low systematic error in sensible heat fluxes (H) (12-25%) in all ecosystems. Uncertainty in TR versus moisture availability relationship, stationarity assumption in surface emissivity, and SEB closure corrections in E were predominantly responsible for systematic E errors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. A discrete correlation (r) of the model errors with observed soil moisture variance (r = 0.33-0.43), evaporative index (r = 0.77-0.90), and climatological dryness (r = 0.60-0.77) explained a strong association between ecohydrological extremes and T-R in determining the error structure of STIC1.2 predicted fluxes. Being independent of any leaf-scale biophysical parameterization, the model might be an important value addition in working group (WG2) of the Australian Energy and Water Exchange (OzEWEX) research initiative which focuses on observations to evaluate and compare biophysical models of energy and water cycle components.Plain Language Summary Evapotranspiration modeling and mapping in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are uncertain due to empirical approximation of surface and atmospheric conductances. Here we demonstrate the performance of a fully analytical model which is independent of any leaf-scale empirical parameterization of the conductances and can be potentially used for continental scale mapping of ecosystem water use as well as water stress using thermal remote sensing satellite data.d

AB - Thermal infrared sensing of evapotranspiration (E) through surface energy balance (SEB) models is challenging due to uncertainties in determining the aerodynamic conductance (g(A)) and due to inequalities between radiometric (T-R) and aerodynamic temperatures (T-0). We evaluated a novel analytical model, the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC1.2), that physically integrates T-R observations into a combined Penman-Monteith Shuttleworth-Wallace (PM-SW) framework for directly estimating E, and overcoming the uncertainties associated with T0 and gA determination. An evaluation of STIC1.2 against high temporal frequency SEB flux measurements across an aridity gradient in Australia revealed a systematic error of 10-52% in E from mesic to arid ecosystem, and low systematic error in sensible heat fluxes (H) (12-25%) in all ecosystems. Uncertainty in TR versus moisture availability relationship, stationarity assumption in surface emissivity, and SEB closure corrections in E were predominantly responsible for systematic E errors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. A discrete correlation (r) of the model errors with observed soil moisture variance (r = 0.33-0.43), evaporative index (r = 0.77-0.90), and climatological dryness (r = 0.60-0.77) explained a strong association between ecohydrological extremes and T-R in determining the error structure of STIC1.2 predicted fluxes. Being independent of any leaf-scale biophysical parameterization, the model might be an important value addition in working group (WG2) of the Australian Energy and Water Exchange (OzEWEX) research initiative which focuses on observations to evaluate and compare biophysical models of energy and water cycle components.Plain Language Summary Evapotranspiration modeling and mapping in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are uncertain due to empirical approximation of surface and atmospheric conductances. Here we demonstrate the performance of a fully analytical model which is independent of any leaf-scale empirical parameterization of the conductances and can be potentially used for continental scale mapping of ecosystem water use as well as water stress using thermal remote sensing satellite data.d

KW - RADIOMETRIC SURFACE-TEMPERATURE

KW - ENERGY-BALANCE CLOSURE

KW - HEAT-FLUX

KW - MEDITERRANEAN DRYLANDS

KW - AERODYNAMIC RESISTANCE

KW - 2-SOURCE PERSPECTIVE

KW - PRIESTLEY-TAYLOR

KW - WATER-RESOURCES

KW - LATENT-HEAT

KW - EVAPORATION

KW - aridity gradient

KW - Australia

KW - evapotranspiration

KW - land surface temperature

KW - Penman-Monteith

KW - Shuttleworth-Wallace

KW - surface energy balance

KW - thermal infrared sensing

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85045689078

U2 - 10.1029/2017WR021357

DO - 10.1029/2017WR021357

M3 - Article

SN - 0043-1397

VL - 54

SP - 3409

EP - 3435

JO - Water Resources Research

JF - Water Resources Research

IS - 5

ER -

Bridging Thermal Infrared Sensing and Physically-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling : From Theoretical Implementation to Validation Across an Aridity Gradient in Australian Ecosystems

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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