MAQ-22806 Atmosphere-Vegetation-Soil Interactions

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch and/or English

Assumed knowledge on:

Meteorology and Climate (MAQ-21806)

Contents:

This course deals with the processes near the interface between the atmosphere and land surfaces. It focuses on the exchange of energy, water and other species between the soil and the lower part of the atmosphere, where special attention is paid to the way vegetation modifies this exchange. The energy balance and water balance of the soil-atmosphere interface are linked through the evapotranspiration of the soil-vegetation system. For the soil compartment special attention is paid to the movement of water through the unsaturated zone, effects of dry, wet and salty conditions on root water uptake, the way solutes are transported, and the transport of heat. For the atmospheric part the interaction of the surface with the incoming radiation, as well as the effects of shear and stratification on the flow are studied.

Learning outcomes:

After this course, the student is expected to be able to:
- describe the exchange of radiation, momentum, heat, water vapour and other species between the land surfaces and the atmosphere, and explain how these processes are related to the hydraulic properties and conditions of the soil;
- discuss the role of turbulence, shear and stratification in near-surface exchange processes and describe and apply similarity relationships;
- explain how the exchange processes are modelled in large- and small-scale models and for practical applications;
- solve practical problems related to these processes (e.g. calculation of evaporation and transpiration, soil temperatures, CO2-transport, deposition, surface temperature and the radiation balance);
- describe and calculate the behaviour and movement of water and solutes in the soil-water-vegetation-atmosphere system;
- explain effects of soil transport processes and management measures on crop growth;
- describe and interpret methods to determine soil physical properties;
- use an agrohydrological model to analyse the interaction between soil transport processes and crop growth.

Literature:

A.F. Moene and J.C. van Dam: 'Atmosphere-Vegetation-Soil Interactions'