Links between observed micro-meteorological variability and land-use patterns in the highveld priority area of South Africa

dc.contributor.authorEsau, Igor
dc.contributor.authorLuhunga, Philbert Modest
dc.contributor.authorDjolov, George D.
dc.contributor.authorRautenbach, Cornelis Johannes de Wet
dc.contributor.authorZilitinkevich, Sergej
dc.contributor.emailgeorge.djolov@up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-06-13T10:00:37Z
dc.date.available2014-06-13T10:00:37Z
dc.date.issued2012-03
dc.description.abstractLinks between spatial and temporal variability of Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) meteorological quantities and existing land use patterns are still poorly understood due to the non-linearity of air-land interaction processes. This study describes the results of a statistical analysis of meteorological observations collected by a network of ten Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs). The stations were in operation in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) of the Republic of South Africa during 2008 – 2010. The analysis revealed localization, enhancement and homogenization in the inter-station variability of observed meteorological quantities (temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) over diurnal and seasonal cycles. Enhancement of the meteorological spatial variability was found on a broad range of scales from 20 to 50 km during morning hours and in the dry winter season. These spatial scales are comparable to scales of observed land use heterogeneity, which suggests links between atmospheric variability and land use patterns through excitation of horizontal meso-scale circulations. Convective motions homogenized and synchronized meteorological variability during afternoon hours in the winter seasons, and during large parts of the day during the moist summer season. The analysis also revealed that turbulent convection overwhelms horizontal meso-scale circulations in the study area during extensive parts of the annual cycle.en_US
dc.description.librarianhb2013en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors would like to acknowledge the bilateral Norway–South Africa project 180343/S50 “Analysis and the Possibility for Control of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Processes to Facilitate Adaptation to Environmental Changes” co-funded by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Norwegian Research Council (NRC). A significant part of this work has been developed under the NRC project 191516/V30 “Planetary boundary layer feedback in the Earth's Climate System”, under the European Research Council Advanced Grant, FP7-IDEAS, 227915 “Atmospheric planetary boundary layers: physics, modeling and its role in the Earth system”, and under a grant from the Government of the Russian Federation (project code 11.G34.31.0048).en_US
dc.description.urihttp://link.springer.com/journal/703en_US
dc.identifier.citationEsau, I, Luhunga, P, Djolov, G, Rautenbach, CJ de W & Zilitinkevich, S 2012, 'Links between observed micro-meteorological variability and land-use patterns in the highveld priority area of South Africa', Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, vol. 118, no. 3-4, pp. 129-142.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0177-7971 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1436-5065 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s00703-012-0218-4
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/40159
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights© Springer-Verlag Wien 2012. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com.en_US
dc.subjectMicro-meteorologyen_US
dc.subjectPlanetary boundary layeren_US
dc.subjectAir-land interactionsen_US
dc.subjectStatistical data analysisen_US
dc.titleLinks between observed micro-meteorological variability and land-use patterns in the highveld priority area of South Africaen_US
dc.typePostprint Articleen_US

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