EARTHSC 2C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Weather Front, Hydrograph, Transpiration
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Energy & mass balances ii: net radiation & mass. Net radiation is the result of the surface radiation balance. It is the available radiation energy at the surface. Q* is dominated by a strong downward flow of solar radiation in the day and a weaker outward flow of longwave (thermal) radiation at night (see figure 1. 9, oke, 1987 ). Latent heat flux is the energy flow associated with water vapour exchange with the surface by evaporation or condensation. Evaporation from water surface, vegetation, and soil dominates during the day, while condensation can occur at night. Qe is expressed in units of w m-2. Where e is the flux of water in kg m-2 s-1 and lv is the latent heat of vaporization in j kg-1. Sensible heat flux arises from differences between the temperature of the surface and that of the air above. Qh is generally outward (surface temperature greater than air) and vice versa in the evening and night.