Land-atmosphere interactions are central to understanding current and future trends in weather and climate. Regional-scale surface fluxes are the quantities often required for model input and/or validation. Quantifying the relationship between local and large regional-scale fluxes and their connection to surface properties and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL)-flow regime has been the motivation for numerous field campaigns and remains an unsolved problem.

In this seminar, after reviewing regional climate projections and their problems related to surface- atmosphere interactions I will describe observational platforms and newly developed methodologies that would enable connecting surface turbulent fluxes with ABL parameters. I will discuss multiscale turbulent fluxes experiments carried out in the most vulnerable ecosystems on earth. And, I will introduce new empirical approximations of multiscale turbulent fluxes. To conclude, I will share my research strategy for the next generation of experiments integrating observations and modeling approaches.

BIO:

Prof. Fochesatto research interests focus on land-atmosphere interactions in complex heterogeneous surfaces and canopies characterizing high latitude environments. His group developed experiments to improve understanding of land-atmosphere coupling processes from micro-meteorological to atmospheric boundary layer scales.

Prof. Fochesatto has extensive research experience on determination of surface fluxes of heat, moisture, and carbon as tracers of surface-atmosphere interaction in Arctic Tundra, Alaskan Boreal Forest, and high latitude agro-ecosystems.