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Measurements of Evaporation and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes over a Coastal Reef using the Eddy-Covariance Technique

Rey Sanchez, Andres Camilo
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1528905399809107

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Civil Engineering.
Eddy covariance measurements of evaporation and carbon dioxide flux in coastal systems are an important tool to understand ecological and biophysical properties of ecosystems such as coastal reefs. However, few studies have examined mass fluxes under highly contrasting air-sea temperature conditions, such as those found in the Red Sea or any other desert-surrounded seas and coastal areas. This study analyses season-long observations of evaporation and carbon flux at the Gulf of Aqaba coast, northern Red Sea. Data were collected using the eddy-covariance method with a two-tower setup to measure evaporation rates over land and sea and the advection between them. Using a 3D mass balance approach, total evaporation was calculated as the sum of two main components in our site: horizontal advection and turbulent vertical flux, with half-hourly change of water vapor storage and horizontal flux divergence found to be negligible. Average evaporation rates were 11.4 [mm day-1] from April through May (early summer), and 10.5 [mm day-1] from June through August (summer). These rates of evaporation near the shore were considerably higher than values reported in other studies typically used to represent the mean for the whole Gulf area. The results of this study show that evaporation rates computed by common bulk models approximate the mean values of evaporation but have poor representativeness of the intra-daily temporal variation of evaporation. The coastal reef was a CO2 sink over the period of measurements, significantly higher in June through August than in April through May. The main environmental drivers of CO2 flux were humidity, water temperature, sensible heat flux and wind speed. There was a significant correlation between CO2 flux and evaporation attributed to common environmental drivers of gas diffusion, turbulent fluxes, and horizontal transport. Measurements of mass fluxes in coastal waters need to use at least a two-tower system to account for the effect of horizontal advection on the total flux.
Gil Bohrer (Advisor)
Jeffrey Bielicki (Committee Member)
May Andrew (Committee Member)
69 p.
Environmental Engineering; Meteorology
Evaporation; Eddy covariance; Advection; Coral reefs

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Rey Sanchez, A. C. (2018). Measurements of Evaporation and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes over a Coastal Reef using the Eddy-Covariance Technique [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1528905399809107

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Rey Sanchez, Andres Camilo. Measurements of Evaporation and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes over a Coastal Reef using the Eddy-Covariance Technique. 2018. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1528905399809107.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Rey Sanchez, Andres Camilo. "Measurements of Evaporation and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes over a Coastal Reef using the Eddy-Covariance Technique." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1528905399809107

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1528905399809107
292
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.