Articles | Volume 24, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4813-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4813-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Oct 2020
Research article |
| 12 Oct 2020
| 12 Oct 2020
Understanding the mass, momentum, and energy transfer in the frozen soil with three levels of model complexities
Lianyu Yu
Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
Zhongbo Su
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in
Arid Region of Ministry of Education, School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
Related authors
Mostafa Gomaa Daoud, Fakhereh Alidoost, Yijian Zeng, Bart Schilperoort, Christiaan Van der Tol, Maciek W. Lubczynski, Mhd Suhyb Salama, Eric D. Morway, Christian D. Langevin, Prajwal Khanal, Zengjing Song, Lianyu Yu, Hong Zhao, Gualbert Oude Essink, Victor F. Bense, Michiel van der Molen, and Zhongbo Su
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4179, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4179, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the groundwater role in soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. An integrated ecohydrological modelling approach was developed by coupling STEMMUS-SCOPE to MODFLOW 6 and applied at three sites over 8 years. The coupled model improved simulations of soil moisture and temperature, evapotranspiration, carbon fluxes and fluorescence. The findings highlight the groundwater critical role in ecosystem dynamics and its contribution to advancing water, energy and carbon cycle modelling.
Lianyu Yu, Yijian Zeng, Huanjie Cai, Mengna Li, Yuanyuan Zha, Jicai Zeng, Hui Qian, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-221, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-221, 2023
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a coupled soil water-groundwater (SW-GW) model, which is verified as physically accurate and applicable in large-scale groundwater problems. The role of vadose zone processes, coupling approach, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of SW-GW interactions were highlighted as essential to represent the SW-GW system. Given the relevant dataset, the developed SW-GW modeling framework has the potential to portray the processes "from bedrock to atmosphere" in a physically consistent manner.
Lianyu Yu, Yijian Zeng, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 7345–7376, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We developed an integrated soil–snow–atmosphere model (STEMMUS-UEB) dedicated to the physical description of snow and soil processes with various complexities. With STEMMUS-UEB, we demonstrated that the snowpack affects not only the soil surface moisture conditions (in the liquid and ice phase) and energy-related states (albedo, LE) but also the subsurface soil water and vapor transfer, which contributes to a better understanding of the hydrothermal implications of the snowpack in cold regions.
Mengna Li, Yijian Zeng, Maciek W. Lubczynski, Jean Roy, Lianyu Yu, Hui Qian, Zhenyu Li, Jie Chen, Lei Han, Han Zheng, Tom Veldkamp, Jeroen M. Schoorl, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Kai Hou, Qiying Zhang, Panpan Xu, Fan Li, Kai Lu, Yulin Li, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4727–4757, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Tibetan Plateau is the source of most of Asia's major rivers and has been called the Asian Water Tower. Due to its remoteness and the harsh environment, there is a lack of field survey data to investigate its hydrogeology. Borehole core lithology analysis, an altitude survey, soil thickness measurement, hydrogeological surveys, and hydrogeophysical surveys were conducted in the Maqu catchment within the Yellow River source region to improve a full–picture understanding of the water cycle.
Yunfei Wang, Yijian Zeng, Lianyu Yu, Peiqi Yang, Christiaan Van der Tol, Qiang Yu, Xiaoliang Lü, Huanjie Cai, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 1379–1407, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1379-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1379-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study integrates photosynthesis and transfer of energy, mass, and momentum in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum system, via a simplified 1D root growth model. The results indicated that the simulation of land surface fluxes was significantly improved by considering the root water uptake, especially when vegetation was experiencing severe water stress. This finding highlights the importance of enhanced soil heat and moisture transfer in simulating ecosystem functioning.
Lianyu Yu, Simone Fatichi, Yijian Zeng, and Zhongbo Su
The Cryosphere, 14, 4653–4673, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4653-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4653-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The role of soil water and heat transfer physics in portraying the function of a cold region ecosystem was investigated. We found that explicitly considering the frozen soil physics and coupled water and heat transfer is important in mimicking soil hydrothermal dynamics. The presence of soil ice can alter the vegetation leaf onset date and deep leakage. Different complexity in representing vadose zone physics does not considerably affect interannual energy, water, and carbon fluxes.
Mostafa Gomaa Daoud, Fakhereh Alidoost, Yijian Zeng, Bart Schilperoort, Christiaan Van der Tol, Maciek W. Lubczynski, Mhd Suhyb Salama, Eric D. Morway, Christian D. Langevin, Prajwal Khanal, Zengjing Song, Lianyu Yu, Hong Zhao, Gualbert Oude Essink, Victor F. Bense, Michiel van der Molen, and Zhongbo Su
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4179, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4179, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the groundwater role in soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. An integrated ecohydrological modelling approach was developed by coupling STEMMUS-SCOPE to MODFLOW 6 and applied at three sites over 8 years. The coupled model improved simulations of soil moisture and temperature, evapotranspiration, carbon fluxes and fluorescence. The findings highlight the groundwater critical role in ecosystem dynamics and its contribution to advancing water, energy and carbon cycle modelling.
Qianqian Han, Yijian Zeng, Yunfei Wang, Fakhereh Sarah Alidoost, Francesco Nattino, Yang Liu, and Bob Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-183, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-183, 2025
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how land interacts with the atmosphere is crucial for studying climate change, yet global high-resolution data on energy, water, and carbon exchanges remain limited. This study introduces a new dataset that estimates these exchanges hourly from 2000 to 2020 by combining physical process model, field measurements, and machine learning with satellite and meteorological data. Our dataset provides valuable insights into how ecosystems respond to climate extremes worldwide.
Paolo Nasta, Günter Blöschl, Heye R. Bogena, Steffen Zacharias, Roland Baatz, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Karsten H. Jensen, Salvatore Manfreda, Laurent Pfister, Ana M. Tarquis, Ilja van Meerveld, Marc Voltz, Yijian Zeng, William Kustas, Xin Li, Harry Vereecken, and Nunzio Romano
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 465–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) initiative has emphasized the need to establish networks of multi-decadal hydrological observatories to tackle catchment-scale challenges on a global scale. This opinion paper provocatively discusses two endmembers of possible future hydrological observatory (HO) networks for a given hypothesized community budget: a comprehensive set of moderately instrumented observatories or, alternatively, a small number of highly instrumented supersites.
Gab Abramowitz, Anna Ukkola, Sanaa Hobeichi, Jon Cranko Page, Mathew Lipson, Martin G. De Kauwe, Samuel Green, Claire Brenner, Jonathan Frame, Grey Nearing, Martyn Clark, Martin Best, Peter Anthoni, Gabriele Arduini, Souhail Boussetta, Silvia Caldararu, Kyeungwoo Cho, Matthias Cuntz, David Fairbairn, Craig R. Ferguson, Hyungjun Kim, Yeonjoo Kim, Jürgen Knauer, David Lawrence, Xiangzhong Luo, Sergey Malyshev, Tomoko Nitta, Jerome Ogee, Keith Oleson, Catherine Ottlé, Phillipe Peylin, Patricia de Rosnay, Heather Rumbold, Bob Su, Nicolas Vuichard, Anthony P. Walker, Xiaoni Wang-Faivre, Yunfei Wang, and Yijian Zeng
Biogeosciences, 21, 5517–5538, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper evaluates land models – computer-based models that simulate ecosystem dynamics; land carbon, water, and energy cycles; and the role of land in the climate system. It uses machine learning and AI approaches to show that, despite the complexity of land models, they do not perform nearly as well as they could given the amount of information they are provided with about the prediction problem.
Zengjing Song, Yijian Zeng, Yunfei Wang, Enting Tang, Danyang Yu, Fakhereh Alidoost, Mingguo Ma, Xujun Han, Xuguang Tang, Zhongjing Zhu, Yao Xiao, Debing Kong, and Zhongbo Su
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2940, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2940, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
The exchange of water and carbon between the plant and the atmosphere is affected under water stress conditions. In this study, a leaf-water-potential-based water stress factor is considered in the STEMMUS-SCOPE (hereafter STEMMUS-SCOPE-PHS), to replace the conventional soil-moisture-based water stress factor. The results show that leaf water potential reflects the plant water stress well, and the STEMMUS-SCOPE-PHS outperforms STEMMUS-SCOPE in the dynamics of the water, energy and carbon fluxes.
Tobias Karl David Weber, Lutz Weihermüller, Attila Nemes, Michel Bechtold, Aurore Degré, Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Simone Fatichi, Vilim Filipović, Surya Gupta, Tobias L. Hohenbrink, Daniel R. Hirmas, Conrad Jackisch, Quirijn de Jong van Lier, John Koestel, Peter Lehmann, Toby R. Marthews, Budiman Minasny, Holger Pagel, Martine van der Ploeg, Shahab Aldin Shojaeezadeh, Simon Fiil Svane, Brigitta Szabó, Harry Vereecken, Anne Verhoef, Michael Young, Yijian Zeng, Yonggen Zhang, and Sara Bonetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3391–3433, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are used to predict parameters of models describing the hydraulic properties of soils. The appropriateness of these predictions critically relies on the nature of the datasets for training the PTFs and the physical comprehensiveness of the models. This roadmap paper is addressed to PTF developers and users and critically reflects the utility and future of PTFs. To this end, we present a manifesto aiming at a paradigm shift in PTF research.
Yunfei Wang, Yijian Zeng, Zengjing Song, Danyang Yu, Qianqian Han, Enting Tang, Henk de Bruin, and Zhongbo Su
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1321, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1321, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Various methods were proposed to estimate irrigation water requirements (IWR). However, the simulated IWR exhibits large differences. This study evaluates six potential evapotranspiration (PET) methods and proposes a practical approach to estimate IWR. The radiation-based methods show promise in approximating daily PET accurately, and the STEMMUS-SCOPE model can reliably estimate IWR. This research enhances our understanding of different PET methods and their implications for water management.
Enting Tang, Yijian Zeng, Yunfei Wang, Zengjing Song, Danyang Yu, Hongyue Wu, Chenglong Qiao, Christiaan van der Tol, Lingtong Du, and Zhongbo Su
Biogeosciences, 21, 893–909, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-893-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-893-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Our study shows that planting shrubs in a semiarid grassland reduced the soil moisture and increased plant water uptake and transpiration. Notably, the water used by the ecosystem exceeded the rainfall received during the growing seasons, indicating an imbalance in the water cycle. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the STEMMUS–SCOPE model as a tool to represent ecohydrological processes and highlight the need to consider energy and water budgets for future revegetation projects.
Qianqian Han, Yijian Zeng, Lijie Zhang, Calimanut-Ionut Cira, Egor Prikaziuk, Ting Duan, Chao Wang, Brigitta Szabó, Salvatore Manfreda, Ruodan Zhuang, and Bob Su
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 5825–5845, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5825-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5825-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Using machine learning, we estimated global surface soil moisture (SSM) to aid in understanding water, energy, and carbon exchange. Ensemble models outperformed individual algorithms in predicting SSM under different climates. The best-performing ensemble included K-neighbours Regressor, Random Forest Regressor, and Extreme Gradient Boosting. This is important for hydrological and climatological applications such as water cycle monitoring, irrigation management, and crop yield prediction.
Kai-Gao Ouyang, Xiao-Wei Jiang, Gang Mei, Hong-Bin Yan, Ran Niu, Li Wan, and Yijian Zeng
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2579–2590, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2579-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2579-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Our knowledge on sources and dynamics of rock moisture is limited. By using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR), we monitored rock moisture in a cave. The results of an explainable deep learning model reveal that the direct source of rock moisture responsible for weathering in the studied cave is vapour, not infiltrating precipitation. A physics-informed deep learning model, which uses variables controlling vapor condensation as model inputs, leads to accurate rock water content predictions.
Lianyu Yu, Yijian Zeng, Huanjie Cai, Mengna Li, Yuanyuan Zha, Jicai Zeng, Hui Qian, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-221, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-221, 2023
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a coupled soil water-groundwater (SW-GW) model, which is verified as physically accurate and applicable in large-scale groundwater problems. The role of vadose zone processes, coupling approach, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of SW-GW interactions were highlighted as essential to represent the SW-GW system. Given the relevant dataset, the developed SW-GW modeling framework has the potential to portray the processes "from bedrock to atmosphere" in a physically consistent manner.
Pei Zhang, Donghai Zheng, Rogier van der Velde, Jun Wen, Yaoming Ma, Yijian Zeng, Xin Wang, Zuoliang Wang, Jiali Chen, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5513–5542, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5513-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5513-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Soil moisture and soil temperature (SMST) are important state variables for quantifying the heat–water exchange between land and atmosphere. Yet, long-term, regional-scale in situ SMST measurements at multiple depths are scarce on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The presented dataset would be valuable for the evaluation and improvement of long-term satellite- and model-based SMST products on the TP, enhancing the understanding of TP hydrometeorological processes and their response to climate change.
Hong Zhao, Yijian Zeng, Jan G. Hofste, Ting Duan, Jun Wen, and Zhongbo Su
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-333, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-333, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
This paper demonstrated the capability of our developed platform for simulating microwave emission and backscatter signals at multi-frequency. The results of associated investigations on impacts of vegetation water (VW) and temperature (T) imply the need to first disentangle the impact of T for the use of high-frequency signals as its variation is more due to dynamic T. Estimated vegetation optical depth is frequency-dependent, while its diurnal variation depends on that of VW despite frequency.
Shaoning Lv, Clemens Simmer, Yijian Zeng, Jun Wen, Yuanyuan Guo, and Zhongbo Su
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-369, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-369, 2022
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
The freeze-thaw of the ground is an interesting topic to climatology, hydrology, and other earth sciences. The global freeze-thaw distribution is available by passive microwave remote sensing technique. However, the remote sensing technique indirectly detects freeze-thaw states by measuring the brightness temperature difference between frozen and unfrozen soil. Thus, we present different interprets of the brightness signals to the FT-state by using its sub-daily character.
Lianyu Yu, Yijian Zeng, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 7345–7376, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We developed an integrated soil–snow–atmosphere model (STEMMUS-UEB) dedicated to the physical description of snow and soil processes with various complexities. With STEMMUS-UEB, we demonstrated that the snowpack affects not only the soil surface moisture conditions (in the liquid and ice phase) and energy-related states (albedo, LE) but also the subsurface soil water and vapor transfer, which contributes to a better understanding of the hydrothermal implications of the snowpack in cold regions.
Wouter Dorigo, Irene Himmelbauer, Daniel Aberer, Lukas Schremmer, Ivana Petrakovic, Luca Zappa, Wolfgang Preimesberger, Angelika Xaver, Frank Annor, Jonas Ardö, Dennis Baldocchi, Marco Bitelli, Günter Blöschl, Heye Bogena, Luca Brocca, Jean-Christophe Calvet, J. Julio Camarero, Giorgio Capello, Minha Choi, Michael C. Cosh, Nick van de Giesen, Istvan Hajdu, Jaakko Ikonen, Karsten H. Jensen, Kasturi Devi Kanniah, Ileen de Kat, Gottfried Kirchengast, Pankaj Kumar Rai, Jenni Kyrouac, Kristine Larson, Suxia Liu, Alexander Loew, Mahta Moghaddam, José Martínez Fernández, Cristian Mattar Bader, Renato Morbidelli, Jan P. Musial, Elise Osenga, Michael A. Palecki, Thierry Pellarin, George P. Petropoulos, Isabella Pfeil, Jarrett Powers, Alan Robock, Christoph Rüdiger, Udo Rummel, Michael Strobel, Zhongbo Su, Ryan Sullivan, Torbern Tagesson, Andrej Varlagin, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Jeffrey Walker, Jun Wen, Fred Wenger, Jean Pierre Wigneron, Mel Woods, Kun Yang, Yijian Zeng, Xiang Zhang, Marek Zreda, Stephan Dietrich, Alexander Gruber, Peter van Oevelen, Wolfgang Wagner, Klaus Scipal, Matthias Drusch, and Roberto Sabia
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5749–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) is a community-based open-access data portal for soil water measurements taken at the ground and is accessible at https://ismn.earth. Over 1000 scientific publications and thousands of users have made use of the ISMN. The scope of this paper is to inform readers about the data and functionality of the ISMN and to provide a review of the scientific progress facilitated through the ISMN with the scope to shape future research and operations.
Mengna Li, Yijian Zeng, Maciek W. Lubczynski, Jean Roy, Lianyu Yu, Hui Qian, Zhenyu Li, Jie Chen, Lei Han, Han Zheng, Tom Veldkamp, Jeroen M. Schoorl, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Kai Hou, Qiying Zhang, Panpan Xu, Fan Li, Kai Lu, Yulin Li, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4727–4757, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Tibetan Plateau is the source of most of Asia's major rivers and has been called the Asian Water Tower. Due to its remoteness and the harsh environment, there is a lack of field survey data to investigate its hydrogeology. Borehole core lithology analysis, an altitude survey, soil thickness measurement, hydrogeological surveys, and hydrogeophysical surveys were conducted in the Maqu catchment within the Yellow River source region to improve a full–picture understanding of the water cycle.
Hong-Yu Xie, Xiao-Wei Jiang, Shu-Cong Tan, Li Wan, Xu-Sheng Wang, Si-Hai Liang, and Yijian Zeng
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4243–4257, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4243-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4243-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Freezing-induced groundwater migration and water table decline are widely observed, but quantitative understanding of these processes is lacking. By considering wintertime atmospheric conditions and occurrence of lateral groundwater inflow, a model coupling soil water and groundwater reproduced field observations of soil temperature, soil water content, and groundwater level well. The model results led to a clear understanding of the balance of the water budget during the freezing–thawing cycle.
Cunbo Han, Yaoming Ma, Binbin Wang, Lei Zhong, Weiqiang Ma, Xuelong Chen, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3513–3524, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3513-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3513-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Actual terrestrial evapotranspiration (ETa) is a key parameter controlling the land–atmosphere interaction processes and water cycle. However, the spatial distribution and temporal changes in ETa over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) remain very uncertain. Here we estimate the multiyear (2001–2018) monthly ETa and its spatial distribution on the TP by a combination of meteorological data and satellite products. Results have been validated at six eddy-covariance monitoring sites and show high accuracy.
Pei Zhang, Donghai Zheng, Rogier van der Velde, Jun Wen, Yijian Zeng, Xin Wang, Zuoliang Wang, Jiali Chen, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3075–3102, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3075-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3075-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper reports on the status of the Tibet-Obs and presents a 10-year (2009–2019) surface soil moisture (SM) dataset produced based on in situ measurements taken at a depth of 5 cm collected from the Tibet-Obs. This surface SM dataset includes the original 15 min in situ measurements collected by multiple SM monitoring sites of three networks (i.e. the Maqu, Naqu, and Ngari networks) and the spatially upscaled SM records produced for the Maqu and Shiquanhe networks.
Jan G. Hofste, Rogier van der Velde, Jun Wen, Xin Wang, Zuoliang Wang, Donghai Zheng, Christiaan van der Tol, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2819–2856, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2819-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2819-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The dataset reported in this paper concerns the measurement of microwave reflections from an alpine meadow over the Tibetan Plateau. These microwave reflections were measured continuously over 1 year. With it, variations in soil water content due to evaporation, precipitation, drainage, and soil freezing/thawing can be seen. A better understanding of the effects aforementioned processes have on microwave reflections may improve methods for estimating soil water content used by satellites.
Yunfei Wang, Yijian Zeng, Lianyu Yu, Peiqi Yang, Christiaan Van der Tol, Qiang Yu, Xiaoliang Lü, Huanjie Cai, and Zhongbo Su
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 1379–1407, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1379-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1379-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study integrates photosynthesis and transfer of energy, mass, and momentum in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum system, via a simplified 1D root growth model. The results indicated that the simulation of land surface fluxes was significantly improved by considering the root water uptake, especially when vegetation was experiencing severe water stress. This finding highlights the importance of enhanced soil heat and moisture transfer in simulating ecosystem functioning.
María P. González-Dugo, Xuelong Chen, Ana Andreu, Elisabet Carpintero, Pedro J. Gómez-Giraldez, Arnaud Carrara, and Zhongbo Su
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 755–768, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-755-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-755-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Drought is a devastating natural hazard and difficult to define, detect and quantify. Global meteorological data and remote-sensing products present new opportunities to characterize drought in an objective way. In this paper, we applied the surface energy balance model SEBS to estimate monthly evapotranspiration (ET) from 2001 to 2018 over the dehesa area of the Iberian Peninsula. ET anomalies were used to identify the main drought events and analyze their impacts on dehesa vegetation.
Rogier van der Velde, Andreas Colliander, Michiel Pezij, Harm-Jan F. Benninga, Rajat Bindlish, Steven K. Chan, Thomas J. Jackson, Dimmie M. D. Hendriks, Denie C. M. Augustijn, and Zhongbo Su
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 473–495, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-473-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-473-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
NASA’s SMAP satellite provides estimates of the amount of water in the soil. With measurements from a network of 20 monitoring stations, the accuracy of these estimates has been studied for a 4-year period. We found an agreement between satellite and in situ estimates in line with the mission requirements once the large mismatches associated with rapidly changing water contents, e.g. soil freezing and rainfall, are excluded.
Lianyu Yu, Simone Fatichi, Yijian Zeng, and Zhongbo Su
The Cryosphere, 14, 4653–4673, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4653-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4653-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The role of soil water and heat transfer physics in portraying the function of a cold region ecosystem was investigated. We found that explicitly considering the frozen soil physics and coupled water and heat transfer is important in mimicking soil hydrothermal dynamics. The presence of soil ice can alter the vegetation leaf onset date and deep leakage. Different complexity in representing vadose zone physics does not considerably affect interannual energy, water, and carbon fluxes.
Xu Yuan, Xiaolong Yu, and Zhongbo Su
Ocean Sci., 16, 1285–1296, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1285-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1285-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This work investigates the variabilities of the barrier layer thickness (BLT) in the tropical Indian Ocean with the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation version 3 ocean reanalysis data. Our results show that the seasonal variation of the BLT is in relation to the changes of thermocline and sea surface salinity. In terms of the interannual timescale, BLT presents a clear seasonal phase locking dominated by different drivers during the Indian Dipole and El Niño–Southern Oscillation events.
Cited articles
Bao, H., Koike, T., Yang, K., Wang, L., Shrestha, M., and Lawford, P.:
Development of an enthalpy-based frozen soil model and its validation in a
cold region in China, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 121, 5259–5280, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jd024451, 2016.
Biskaborn, B. K., Smith, S. L., Noetzli, J., Matthes, H., Vieira, G.,
Streletskiy, D. A., Schoeneich, P., Romanovsky, V. E., Lewkowicz, A. G.,
Abramov, A., Allard, M., Boike, J., Cable, W. L., Christiansen, H. H.,
Delaloye, R., Diekmann, B., Drozdov, D., Etzelmüller, B., Grosse, G.,
Guglielmin, M., Ingeman-Nielsen, T., Isaksen, K., Ishikawa, M., Johansson,
M., Johannsson, H., Joo, A., Kaverin, D., Kholodov, A., Konstantinov, P.,
Kröger, T., Lambiel, C., Lanckman, J.-P., Luo, D., Malkova, G.,
Meiklejohn, I., Moskalenko, N., Oliva, M., Phillips, M., Ramos, M., Sannel,
A. B. K., Sergeev, D., Seybold, C., Skryabin, P., Vasiliev, A., Wu, Q.,
Yoshikawa, K., Zheleznyak, M., and Lantuit, H.: Permafrost is warming at a
global scale, Nat. Commun., 10, 264, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08240-4, 2019.
Boone, A., Masson, V., Meyers, T., and Noilhan, J.: The Influence of the
Inclusion of Soil Freezing on Simulations by a Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere
Transfer Scheme, J. Appl. Meteorol., 39, 1544–1569,
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<1544:TIOTIO>2.0.CO;2, 2000.
Burke, E. J., Jones, C. D., and Koven, C. D.: Estimating the Permafrost-Carbon Climate Response in the CMIP5 Climate Models Using a
Simplified Approach, J. Climate, 26, 4897–4909, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-12-00550.1, 2013.
Cheng, G. and Wu, T.: Responses of permafrost to climate change and their
environmental significance, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F02S03, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000631, 2007.
Cuntz, M. and Haverd, V.: Physically Accurate Soil Freeze-Thaw Processes in
a Global Land Surface Scheme, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 10, 54–77, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS001100, 2018.
Dente, L., Vekerdy, Z., Wen, J., and Su, Z.: Maqu network for validation of
satellite-derived soil moisture products, Int. J. Appl. Earth Obs. Geoinf., 17, 55–65, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2011.11.004, 2012.
De Vries, D. A.: Simultaneous transfer of heat and moisture in porous media,
Eos Trans. AGU, 39, 909–916, https://doi.org/10.1029/TR039i005p00909, 1958.
De Vries, D. A.: The theory of heat and moisture transfer in porous media
revisited, Int. J. Heat Mass Tran., 30, 1343–1350,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0017-9310(87)90166-9, 1987.
Feddes, R. A., Kowalik, P. J., and Zaradny, H.: Simulation of field water
use and crop yield, Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation,
Wageningen, the Netherlands, 189 pp., 1978.
Flerchinger, G. N. and Saxton, K. E.: Simultaneous heat and water model of
a freezing snow-residue-soil system. I. Theory and development, T. ASABE, 32, 565–571, https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.31040, 1989.
Gale, M. R. and Grigal, D. F.: Vertical root distributions of northern tree
species in relation to successional status, Can. J. Forest Res., 17, 829–834, https://doi.org/10.1139/x87-131, 1987.
Grenier, C., Anbergen, H., Bense, V., Chanzy, Q., Coon, E., Collier, N.,
Costard, F., Ferry, M., Frampton, A., Frederick, J., Gonçalvès, J.,
Holmén, J., Jost, A., Kokh, S., Kurylyk, B., McKenzie, J., Molson, J.,
Mouche, E., Orgogozo, L., Pannetier, R., Rivière, A., Roux, N.,
Rühaak, W., Scheidegger, J., Selroos, J. O., Therrien, R., Vidstrand,
P., and Voss, C.: Groundwater flow and heat transport for systems undergoing
freeze-thaw: Intercomparison of numerical simulators for 2D test cases, Adv.
Water Resour., 114, 196–218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2018.02.001, 2018.
Guymon, G. L. and Luthin, J. N.: A coupled heat and moisture transport
model for Arctic soils, Water Resour. Res., 10, 995–1001,
https://doi.org/10.1029/WR010i005p00995, 1974.
Hansson, K., Šimůnek, J., Mizoguchi, M., Lundin, L. C., and van Genuchten, M. T.: Water flow and heat transport in frozen soil: Numerical
solution and freeze-thaw applications, Vadose Zone J., 3, 693–704, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2004.0693, 2004.
Harlan, R. L.: Analysis of coupled heat-fluid transport in partially frozen
soil, Water Resour. Res., 9, 1314–1323, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR009i005p01314, 1973.
Hinzman, L. D., Deal, C. J., McGuire, A. D., Mernild, S. H., Polyakov, I. V., and Walsh, J. E.: Trajectory of the Arctic as an integrated system, Ecol. Appl., 23, 1837–1868, https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1498.1, 2013.
Iijima, Y., Ohta, T., Kotani, A., Fedorov, A. N., Kodama, Y., and Maximov,
T. C.: Sap flow changes in relation to permafrost degradation under increasing precipitation in an eastern Siberian larch forest, Ecohydrology,
7, 177–187, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1366, 2014.
Jackson, R. B., Canadell, J., Ehleringer, J. R., Mooney, H. A., Sala, O. E.,
and Schulze, E. D.: A Global Analysis of Root Distributions for Terrestrial
Biomes, Oecologia, 108, 389–411, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333714, 1996.
Karra, S., Painter, S. L., and Lichtner, P. C.: Three-phase numerical model for subsurface hydrology in permafrost-affected regions (PFLOTRAN-ICE v1.0), The Cryosphere, 8, 1935–1950, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1935-2014, 2014.
Kevin, S., Hugues, L., Vladimir, E. R., Edward, A. G. S., and Ronald, W.: The impact of the permafrost carbon feedback on global climate, Environ. Res. Lett., 9, 085003, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/8/085003, 2014.
Koren, V., Schaake, J., Mitchell, K., Duan, Q. Y., Chen, F., and Baker, J. M.: A parameterization of snowpack and frozen ground intended for NCEP
weather and climate models, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 104, 19569–19585, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JD900232, 1999.
Kroes, J., Van Dam, J., Groenendijk, P., Hendriks, R., and Jacobs, C.: SWAP
version 3.2. Theory description and user manual, Alterra, Wageningen, the Netherlands, 195 pp., 2009.
Kurylyk, B. L. and Watanabe, K.: The mathematical representation of freezing and thawing processes in variably-saturated, non-deformable soils, Adv. Water Resour., 60, 160–177, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2013.07.016, 2013.
Li, Q., Sun, S., and Xue, Y.: Analyses and development of a hierarchy of frozen soil models for cold region study, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 115, D03107, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD012530, 2010.
Luo, L., Robock, A., Vinnikov, K. Y., Schlosser, C. A., Slater, A. G., Boone, A., Braden, H., Cox, P., de Rosnay, P., Dickinson, R. E., Dai, Y., Duan, Q., Etchevers, P., Henderson-Sellers, A., Gedney, N., Gusev, Y. M., Habets, F., Kim, J., Kowalczyk, E., Mitchell, K., Nasonova, O. N., Noilhan, J., Pitman, A. J., Schaake, J., Shmakin, A. B., Smirnova, T. G., Wetzel, P., Xue, Y., Yang, Z. L., and Zeng, Q. C.: Effects of frozen soil on soil temperature, spring infiltration, and runoff: Results from the PILPS 2(d) experiment at Valdai, Russia, J. Hydrometeorol., 4, 334–351,
https://doi.org/10.1175/1525-7541(2003)4<334:EOFSOS>2.0.CO;2, 2003.
Milly, P. C. D.: Moisture and heat transport in hysteretic, inhomogeneous
porous media: A matric head-based formulation and a numerical model, Water
Resour. Res., 18, 489–498, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR018i003p00489, 1982.
Niu, G. Y., Yang, Z. L., Mitchell, K. E., Chen, F., Ek, M. B., Barlage, M.,
Kumar, A., Manning, K., Niyogi, D., and Rosero, E.: The community Noah land
surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP): 1. Model
description and evaluation with local-scale measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 116, D12109, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015139, 2011.
Novak, M. D.: Dynamics of the near-surface evaporation zone and corresponding effects on the surface energy balance of a drying bare soil, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 150, 1358–1365, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.06.005, 2010.
Orgogozo, L., Prokushkin, A. S., Pokrovsky, O. S., Grenier, C., Quintard, M., Viers, J., and Audry, S.: Water and energy transfer modeling in a permafrost-dominated, forested catchment of Central Siberia: The key role of
rooting depth, Permafrost Periglac. Proc., 30, 75–89, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1995, 2019.
Painter, S. L.: Three-phase numerical model of water migration in partially
frozen geological media: Model formulation, validation, and applications,
Comput. Geosci., 15, 69–85, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-010-9197-z, 2011.
Philip, J. R. and Vries, D. A. D.: Moisture movement in porous materials
under temperature gradients, Eos Trans. AGU, 38, 222–232, https://doi.org/10.1029/TR038i002p00222, 1957.
Prunty, L. and Bell, J.: Infiltration Rate vs. Gas Composition and Pressure
in Soil Columns, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 71, 1473–1475, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2007.0072N, 2007.
Qi, J., Wang, L., Zhou, J., Song, L., Li, X., and Zeng, T.: Coupled Snow and
Frozen Ground Physics Improves Cold Region Hydrological Simulations: An
Evaluation at the upper Yangtze River Basin (Tibetan Plateau), J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 12985–13004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd031622, 2019.
Richards, L. A.: Capillary Conduction of Liquids Through Porous Mediums,
Physics, 1, 318–333, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1745010, 1931.
Saito, H., Šimůnek, J., and Mohanty, B. P.: Numerical Analysis of
Coupled Water, Vapor, and Heat Transport in the Vadose Zone, Vadose Zone J., 5, 784–800, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2006.0007, 2006.
Schuur, E. A. G., McGuire, A. D., Schädel, C., Grosse, G., Harden, J. W., Hayes, D. J., Hugelius, G., Koven, C. D., Kuhry, P., Lawrence, D. M., Natali, S. M., Olefeldt, D., Romanovsky, V. E., Schaefer, K., Turetsky, M. R., Treat, C. C., and Vonk, J. E.: Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback, Nature, 520, 171–179, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14338, 2015.
Su, Z., Wen, J., Dente, L., van der Velde, R., Wang, L., Ma, Y., Yang, K., and Hu, Z.: The Tibetan Plateau observatory of plateau scale soil moisture and soil temperature (Tibet-Obs) for quantifying uncertainties in coarse resolution satellite and model products, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 2303–2316, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-2303-2011, 2011.
Su, Z., de Rosnay, P., Wen, J., Wang, L., and Zeng, Y.: Evaluation of ECMWF's soil moisture analyses using observations on the Tibetan Plateau, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 118, 5304–5318, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50468, 2013.
Subin, Z. M., Koven, C. D., Riley, W. J., Torn, M. S., Lawrence, D. M., and
Swenson, S. C.: Effects of Soil Moisture on the Responses of Soil Temperatures to Climate Change in Cold Regions, J. Climate, 26, 3139–3158,
https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-12-00305.1, 2013.
Swenson, S. C., Lawrence, D. M., and Lee, H.: Improved simulation of the
terrestrial hydrological cycle in permafrost regions by the Community Land
Model, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 4, M08002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012MS000165, 2012.
Touma, J. and Vauclin, M.: Experimental and numerical analysis of two-phase
infiltration in a partially saturated soil, Transp. Porous Med., 1, 27–55, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01036524, 1986.
van de Griend, A. A. and Owe, M.: Bare soil surface resistance to evaporation by vapor diffusion under semiarid conditions, Water Resour. Res., 30, 181–188, https://doi.org/10.1029/93wr02747, 1994.
Viterbo, P., Beljaars, A., Mahfouf, J. F., and Teixeira, J.: The representation of soil moisture freezing and its impact on the stable boundary layer, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 125, 2401–2426, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712555904, 1999.
Walvoord, M. A. and Kurylyk, B. L.: Hydrologic Impacts of Thawing Permafrost – A Review, Vadose Zone J., 15, 1–20, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.01.0010, 2016.
Wang, C. and Yang, K.: A New Scheme for Considering Soil Water–Heat Transport Coupling Based on Community Land Model: Model Description and
Preliminary Validation, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 10, 927–950, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017ms001148, 2018.
Wang, L., Zhou, J., Qi, J., Sun, L., Yang, K., Tian, L., Lin, Y., Liu, W.,
Shrestha, M., Xue, Y., Koike, T., Ma, Y., Li, X., Chen, Y., Chen, D., Piao,
S., and Lu, H.: Development of a land surface model with coupled snow and
frozen soil physics, Water Resour. Res., 53, 5085–5103, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020451, 2017.
Wicky, J. and Hauck, C.: Numerical modelling of convective heat transport by air flow in permafrost talus slopes, The Cryosphere, 11, 1311–1325, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1311-2017, 2017.
Yang, K., Chen, Y.-Y., and Qin, J.: Some practical notes on the land surface modeling in the Tibetan Plateau, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 687–701, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-687-2009, 2009.
Yu, L., Zeng, Y., Su, Z., Cai, H., and Zheng, Z.: The effect of different evapotranspiration methods on portraying soil water dynamics and ET partitioning in a semi-arid environment in Northwest China, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 975–990, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-975-2016, 2016.
Yu, L., Zeng, Y., Wen, J., and Su, Z.: Liquid-Vapor-Air Flow in the Frozen
Soil, J. Geoohys. Res.-Atmos., 123, 7393–7415, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jd028502, 2018.
Yu, L., Zeng, Y., Fatichi, S., and Su, Z.: How vadose zone mass and energy transfer physics affects the ecohydrological dynamics of a Tibetan meadow?, The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-88, in review, 2020a.
Yu, L., Zeng, Y., Su, Z., and Wen, J.: HydroThermal Dynamics of Frozen Soils on the Tibetan Plateau during 2015–2016, 4TU.ResearchData, https://doi.org/10.4121/uuid:cc69b7f2-2448-4379-b638-09327012ce9b, 2020b.
Zeng, Y., Su, Z., Wan, L., and Wen, J.: Numerical analysis of air–water–heat flow in unsaturated soil: Is it necessary to consider airflow in land surface models?, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 116, D20107,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD015835, 2011a.
Zeng, Y., Su, Z., Wan, L., and Wen, J.: A simulation analysis of the advective effect on evaporation using a two-phase heat and mass flow model,
Water Resour. Res., 47, W10529, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR010701, 2011b.
Zeng, Y., Su, Z., van der Velde, R., Wang, L., Xu, K., Wang, X., and Wen, J.: Blending Satellite Observed, Model Simulated, and in Situ Measured Soil
Moisture over Tibetan Plateau, Remote Sens., 8, 268, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8030268, 2016.
Zeng, Y. J. and Su, Z. B.: STEMMUS: Simultaneous Transfer of Engery, Mass and Momentum in Unsaturated Soil, University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede, 69 pp., 2013.
Zhang, M., Wen, Z., Xue, K., Chen, L., and Li, D.: A coupled model for liquid water, water vapor and heat transport of saturated–unsaturated soil in cold regions: model formulation and verification, Environ. Earth Sci., 75, 701, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5499-3, 2016.
Zhao, H., Zeng, Y., Lv, S., and Su, Z.: Analysis of soil hydraulic and thermal properties for land surface modeling over the Tibetan Plateau, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1031–1061, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1031-2018, 2018.
Zhao, H., Zeng, Y., and Su, Z.: Soil Hydraulic and Thermal Properties for Land Surface Modelling over the Tibetan Plateau, 4TU.ResearchData, https://doi.org/10.4121/uuid:61db65b1-b2aa-4ada-b41e-61ef70e57e4a, 2020.
Zhao, L., Hu, G., Zou, D., Wu, X., Ma, L., Sun, Z., Yuan, L., Zhou, H., and
Liu, S.: Permafrost Changes and Its Effects on Hydrological Processes on
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Chinese Sci. Bull., 34, 1233–1246, 2019.
Zheng, D., Van der Velde, R., Su, Z., Wang, X., Wen, J., Booij, M. J., Hoekstra, A. Y., and Chen, Y.: Augmentations to the Noah Model Physics for
Application to the Yellow River Source Area. Part I: Soil Water Flow, J.
Hydrometeorol., 16, 2659–2676, https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0198.1, 2015a.
Zheng, D., Van der Velde, R., Su, Z., Wen, J., Booij, M. J., Hoekstra, A. Y., and Wang, X.: Under-canopy turbulence and root water uptake of a Tibetan meadow ecosystem modeled by Noah-MP, Water Resour. Res., 51, 5735–5755,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015wr017115, 2015b.
Short summary
Soil mass and heat transfer processes were represented in three levels of model complexities to understand soil freeze–thaw mechanisms. Results indicate that coupled mass and heat transfer models considerably improved simulations of the soil hydrothermal regime. Vapor flow and thermal effects on water flow are the main mechanisms for the improvements. Given the explicit consideration of airflow, vapor flow and its effects on heat transfer were enhanced during the freeze–thaw transition period.
Soil mass and heat transfer processes were represented in three levels of model complexities to...
