Summer energy balance at Wolf Creek Research Basin, Yukon

Three micrometeorological sites have been established and instrumented in the Wolf Creek Research Basin near Whitehorse, Yukon. The sites are representative of the major land use classes present in the basin, boreal forest, high bush tundra and alpine tundra, and range in elevation from 750 to 1615 masl. The instrumentation deployed allows for the determination of the various components of the energy and water balances complete energy and water balance at these sites, The data from these sites have also been used to establish parameterizations for the application of remotely-sensed das to the estimate of regional evapotranspiration. The energy balances are derived and presented for the three major land use types at the Wolf Creek research basin. The net radiation and soil heat fluxes are measured directly, and the turbulent fluxes are derived from measurements of temperature, humidity and wind speeds observed at the sites. Results from the 1994 and 1995 snow-free observation periods are presented. Seasonal trends for the partitioning of the incoming energy, as well as the differences between the various sites (land cover and elevation), are demonstrated. The differences in precipitation trends are also shown. The validity of the relationship between the surface temperature and the vapour pressure deficit of the air, for use with remotely-sensed data, is also demonstrated.