Energy balance closure is an important feature in studies of ecosystem exchanges energy and greenhouse gases using the eddy covariance method. Previous analyses show that this still a problem with imbalances order 0.6–0.7 to full (for only few sites). It has been suggested mesoscale transport processes are not captured by measurements main reason behind problem. So far, very little action taken...

The Medium-Resolution Spectral Imager (MERSI) is one of the major payloads of China’s second-generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellite, FengYun-3 (FY-3), and it is similar to the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The MERSI data are suitable for mapping terrestrial, atmospheric and oceanographic variables at continental to global scales. This study presents a direct...

Net all-wave surface radiation (Rn) is one of the most important fundamental parameters in various applications. However, conventional Rn measurements are difficult to collect because of the high cost and ongoing maintenance of recording instruments. Therefore, various empirical Rn estimation models have been developed. This study presents the results of two artificial neural network (ANN) mode...

[1] Permafrost melting is occurring in areas of the boreal forest region where large amounts of carbon (C) are stored in organic soils. We measured soil respiration, net CO2 flux, and net CH4 flux during May–September 2003 and March 2004 in a black spruce lowland in interior Alaska to better understand how permafrost thaw in poorly drained landscapes affects land-atmosphere CO2 and CH4 exchange...

The paper "ENSO surface shortwave radiation forcing over the tropical Pacific" by Pavlakis et al adds the shortwave component to their earlier study, published in this journal, which examined ENSO surface longwave radiation forcing. The paper is fine, but the results basically corroborate previously published work regarding the evolution of ENSO induced changes in atmospheric circulation, outgo...

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) generates one of the few global satellite radiation products. The CERES ARM Validation Experiment (CAVE) has been providing long-term in situ observations for the validation of the CERES products. However, the number of these sites is low and their distribution is globally sparse, and particularly the surface net radiation product has not...

Net photosynthesis, growth, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorbance were determined for the first leaf of Cucurbita pepo L. exposed to two levels of UV-B irradiation and a UV-B radiation-free control treatment. Absorbance by extracted flavonoid pigments and other UV-B radiation-absorbing compounds from the first leaves increased with time and level of UV-B radiation impinging on leaf surfaces...