HR: 1330h
AN: A13A-20    [Abstracts]
TI: Meteorology Of The Clark Atlanta University Local Energy Balance Module
AU: Mandock, R L
EM: rmandock@cau.edu
AF: Earth System Science Program, Department of Physics, Clark Atlanta University, 223 James P. Brawley Drive, SW Mail Stop 241, Atlanta, GA 30314 United States
AU: * Mills, I
EM: ian_mills@hotmail.com
AF: Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, 223 James P. Brawley Drive, SW , Atlanta, GA 30314 United States
AU: Paxton, J N
EM: jnpaxton@marauder.millersville.edu
AF: Department of Meteorology, Millersville University, PO Box 1002, Millersville, PA 17551 United States
AB: The Earth System Science Program (ESSP) at Clark Atlanta University has developed an instructional module to study energy balance at the air/land and air/sea interfaces. A graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed which is used to model each of the components (net radiation, sensible and latent heat fluxes, ground heat flux, storage, anthropomorphic, and residual) necessary to understand the partitioning of energy at the air/land and air/water interfaces. The energy balance diagram consists of sky elements (sun, moon, clouds), a line representing the air/land or water/land interface, and arrows which indicate magnitude and direction of each of the energy fluxes. The storage component is represented as a box when present. The energy balance model has been applied to numerous (33 at present) scenarios which vary by (1) climate or microclimate, (2) day and night, (2) cloudiness and sunshine, (3) windy and calm, (4) land or water surface, and (5) freezing and non-freezing temperatures. The model is available in 2 levels of rigor: (1) an elementary level (Level I), and (2) and advanced level (Level II). In the Level I model only fixed arrow lengths (e.g., zero, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1) are available to express flux magnitude. This allows a qualitative illustration of the energy balance components. The Level II model requires the student to calculate arrow magnitudes and directions from diffusion, evaporation, radiative transfer, and energy storage equations. The module incorporates not only the energy balance model, but also a protocol by which meteorological observations from the ESSP's rooftop laboratory, the AEMN (Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network), and other online resources. The completed module is designed to serve two audiences: (1) undergraduate introductory science classes and grades 8-12, and (2) upper-division science and engineering classes.
DE: 1899 General or miscellaneous
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly