The Surface Heat Balance in Simulations of Permafrost Behavior

Abstract

This paper presents a surface heat balance simulator that models the complex heat-exchange mechanisms (e.g., radiation, convection) that govern the amount of heat flowing through the ground surface. It can be used integrally with a 2-D Permafrost Heat Transfer Program [6] to implicitly calculate ground surface temperatures based on climatic conditions, surface characteristics, and soil thermal properties. Thus it provides a rational means of predicting disturbed permafrost temperatures and of designing thermal protection systems to minimize thermal disturbances. The power of the surface simulator method is demonstrated by investigating thermal disturbances and various permafrost protection schemes for both arctic and subarctic conditions, and these demonstrations show some unique differences in permafrost thermal behavior in these two regimes.

Modeled impacts of changes in tundra snow thickness on ground thermal regime and heat flow to the atmosphere in Northernmost Alaska

“…The surface energy balance approach is a reasonable method of establishing surface temperature boundary conditions because it tends to preserve the cause and effect relationship between surface temperatures and heat fluxes (e.g., Myrup, 1969;Outcalt, 1972;Miller, 1979). There have been used, but relatively fewer in number, for simulating the ground thermal regime by using the surface energy balance approach to estimate surface temperature conditions.…”

“…There have been used, but relatively fewer in number, for simulating the ground thermal regime by using the surface energy balance approach to estimate surface temperature conditions. Several surface energy balance models, which are forced with daily weather information, have been developed and used to simulate the snowmelt and tundra soil thermal regime (Outcalt et al, 1975;Miller, 1979), and to investigate the effect of tundra vegetation and climate change on ground temperature (Ng and Miller, 1977;Smith and Riseborough, 1983). However, these models do not include the effect of unfrozen water on soil thermal properties.…”

“…Numerical modeling is generally regarded as the most effective method to simulate and forecast the thermal regime of the active layer and permafrost (e.g., Brown et al, 1964;Harlan, 1973;Nixon, 1975;Miller, 1979;Jame and Norum, 1980;Guymon et al, 1984;Kane et al, 1991;Zhang and Stamnes, 1998;Zhang, 2003a,b, 2004a). The modeling studies for the influence of the seasonal snow cover on the ground thermal regime have received considerable attention during the past few decades (e.g., Lachenbruch, 1959;Goodrich, 1982;Lachenbruch and Marshall, 1986;Zhang et al, 1996;Zhang and Stamnes, 1998;Zhang et al, 2001).…”

Thermal regime simulation of embankment and berm in permafrost

“…In order to yield a proper boundary condition for the simulation models, a lot of work has been devoted to the study of the relationship between the ground surface thermal regime and the climate. Miller (1979) believed there was a dynamic reaction between the temperature and the heat-flow density of the ground surface. Lauardini (1981Lauardini ( , 1996 suggested an energy balance existed among factors such as the moisture and temperature of the ground surface, the air temperature and the solar radiation.…”

Constraining Parameter Uncertainty in Simulations of Water and Heat Dynamics in Seasonally Frozen Soil Using Limited Observed Data

“…Furthermore, research on water and heat transport in cold regions could provide a better understanding on regional hydrology and agricultural water resources management with respect to climate change [2,3]. However, the water and energy processes in cold regions are very complicated due to seasonal variations in the upper and lower boundary conditions [4,5], even though accurate estimation of water and energy balance on the surface of seasonally frozen soil is important for the water and heat flow in soil [6] as well as for a better understanding of the interactions between groundwater, surface water, and climate change in cold regions [7].…”