FluxLetter

The Newsletter of FLUXNET Vol. 1 No. 1 February, 2008

Highlight FLUXNET site An outdoor laboratory to study the interaction between the terrestrial and the Tumbarumba by Eva van Gorsel

Tumbarumba flux station is to net exchange. This change in heat stored in the located in south eastern New gives us a good idea of the size biomass, a significant component In This Issue: South Wales, Australia. Tumba- of the advective terms and their of the hourly energy budget at rumba is one of the southern dynamics; [1] and helped us to this site[4] . hemisphere sites with long flux We have good information on FLUXNET site records since 2000 and it is one LAI from hemispheric photogra- “Tumbarumba” of only two sites situated in phy but also of structure Eva van Gorsel…….Page 1-2 temperate open Eucalypt forest. assessed with EchidnaTM [5], a Our group is active in making ground based laser that scans a various measurements and or- full hemisphere from a point on ganising intensive measurement the canopy floor and provides Introducing FLUXNET campaigns to understand the output variables related to stem newsletter exchanges of energy, carbon and foliage densities that may be dioxide and trace gases. Meas- used for ecological assessment, Dennis Baldocchi ….. Page 3 urements of Volatile Organic wood volume estimates and in Compound (VOC) concentra- forest growth models. tions and fluxes, as well as long- Dispersion models and hence term aerosol measurements, all footprint models need detailed News from the FLUX- contribute to a comprehensive information on the vertical vari- NET office………..Page 3 data set which make Tumba- ability of turbulence statistics in rumba Fluxnet site special. Instrumentation on top of the and above the canopy and how The site is located in moder- 70 m flux tower they vary with stability. We have ately complex topography. It is simultaneously measured turbu- FLUXNET graduate therefore important to know all develop an algorithm to filter lence at 7 levels in the forest student the terms contributing to Net nighttime data to calculate respi- canopy for a time period of 10 PETRA KROON...... …Page 4 Ecosystem Exchange and ideally ration [2]. days. To get a better picture of to have independent estimates as 2) Use chambers placed on drainage flow characteristics we well. Hence we have not only and plant components to moved all instruments below the standard flux measurements measure carbon fluxes as inputs canopy where we also set up a FLUXNET Synthesis ( flux and CO2 concentra- and outputs to the ecosystem high resolution temperature and Dataset Collaboration tion profile to derive the change and measure day- and nighttime CO profile. 2 Infrastructure in storage as well as the meas- fluxes in special campaigns in all A large international campaign urements of all the necessary seasons. Changes in carbon was organised to study the char- Deb Agarwal, Marty Hum- meteorological variables) but we pools are assessed. acteristics and dynamics of at- phrey, Catharine van Ingen, also: These measurements are used mospheric ions, aerosol parti- Norm Beekwilder, Monte 1) Set up a 50 x 50 x 6 m3 to constrain comprehensive cles, and their precursors. Meas- Goode, Keith Jackson, Matt control volume to assess the full ecosystem models[3] and to as- urements were carried out to Rodriguez, and Robin Weber mass balance of CO2 i.e. to de- sess SVAT model predictions, assess the forest’s ability to termine the contribution of resulting in the development of a produce new aerosol particles. ……..………...…..Page 5-7 horizontal and vertical advection new sub-model to calculate the

FLUXNET SITE cont. on page 2 Page 2

Tumbarumba...An outdoor laboratory FLUXNET SITE cont. from page 1

The hygroscopic and chemical activity as a source of high ion Literature properties of these particles concentration, concentrations of [1] Leuning, et al. 2007. Horizontal and vertical advection of CO2 beneath a forest were investigated and the total radon and external radiation canopy. submitted to Boundary-Layer [5] concentration of ultrafine aero- were measured. . [2] van Gorsel, et al. 2007. Nocturnal sol particles was measured. Fur- There are many things that carbon efflux: reconciliation of eddy thermore, measurements of make Tumbarumba a special covariance and chamber measurements “There are many things ambient concentrations and place to work and we certainly using an alternative to the u*-threshold filtering technique. Tellus, 59B, 397–403 fluxes of volatile organic com- won’t fall short of scientific ques- [3] Kirschbaum, et al. 2007. Modelling that make Tumbarumba pounds (VOC), precursors to tions we would like to address. net ecosystem carbon and water exchange a special place to work of a temperate Eucalyptus delegatensis forest aerosols, were made from This is now even more perti- forest using multiple constraints. Ag- and we certainly won’t leaf level to forest stand. Meas- nent, as the forest that we love ric.For.Meteorol. 145, 48-68. [4] Haverd, et al. 2007. Air and biomass fall short of scientific urements of SO , NO /NO , and may soon be logged. This is sad, 2 x y heat storage fluxes in a forest canopy: questions we would like O were carried out, too, as well but admittedly also exciting as it Calculation within a soil vegetation atmos- 3 phere transfer model. Agric.For.Meteorol. to address” as the concentrations of several opens the door for other scien- 129, 151– 173. trace gases. Combining these tific questions to be answered. [5] Jupp, et al. 2007. Estimating forest LAI profiles and structural parameters using a with the measurements of VOC ground based laser called “Echidna®”. will give an estimate of the con- For further information see: Tree Physiology, special issue. [6] Suni, et al. 2007. Formation and centration of sulphuric acid, an http://www.dar.csiro.au/lai/ozflux/ characteristics of ions and charged aerosol important precursor to new monitoringsites/tumbarumba/ particles in a native Australian Eucalypt aerosol formation. To test radio- index.html forest. Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 7, 10343-10369 Steve

Tanja Tanja Dale team Vanessa Heather Helen Cleugh, Vanessa Haverd, Dale Hughes, Heather Keith, Mark Kitchen, Ray Leuning, Tanja Suni, Eva van Gorsel, Steve Zegelin all working Canberra (CSIRO and

Australian National University), Ray except Tanja who went back to Helen Helen

continue her research at the Uni- Eva versity of Helsinki in Finland. Mark

contact: [email protected], [email protected] Page 3

Introducing FLUXNET Newsletter Dennis Baldocchi

Welcome to the new FLUX- this issue, we highlight the Tum- participants and members. Sug- the community on timely data NET Newsletter. Our intent is barumba site in Australia and gestions for potential topics and submission, data sharing, data to produce a lively newsletter, profile Petra Kroon, a graduate contributions in the future could synthesis and targeted work- on a quarterly basis, that will student from the Netherlands include: 1) use of our data for shops. serve the community and bring who is working on carbon diox- model development and parame- The final point of business is new ways to communicate and ide and exchange. We terization, 2) the pros and cons the name of this newsletter. In interact, in addition the FLUX- also provide an update on the of land-use change on mitigating this spirit of soliciting community NET list-server and website. In new synthesis database that was greenhouse warming, 3) use of involvement, we polled the this and future newsletters we produced for the 2007 LaThuile video cameras to monitor Young Scientist forum to name will highlight individual field sites workshop. The community has phenology and 4) access and the newsletter. Several sugges- where exciting and multi-faceted a new and unprecedented data- sharing of data to the wider tions were submitted, a vote research is occurring, we will set of over 900 site years of data scientific community, 5) the role followed and the winner is: provide a profile on a young from over 200 field sites ready of scientists in policy making. FluxLetter. scientist (graduate student/ for analysis and synthesis, that is This newsletter is an out- We look forward to your postdoc or junior scientist within expected to push us to the next growth of new support of the participation, contributions and 5 years of her/his Ph.D.), an- stage towards understanding and FLUXNET project, through the scientific developments in 2008. nounce recent papers, and serve predicting the ‘breathing of the National Science Foundation’s Regards as a forum to discuss methodo- biosphere’. Research Coordinated Net- logical and measurement issues, Since this is a community works program, which supports Dennis Baldocchi new directions of research and newsletter, we strongly encour- a postdoctoral scientist, Dr. policy and science outcomes age and welcome contributions Rodrigo Vargas, who will serve through the use of our data. In and suggestions from FLUXNET as editor and will interact with

News from the FLUXNET office

In October 2007, researchers cluster of regional networks that topic discussed during the work- AmeriFlux regional network met in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will enable global synthesis of shop was development of a com- and the La Thuile synthesis USA for a FLUXNET workshop flux information. mon data and information man- dataset. This approach provides to discuss approaches for data Future challenges include de- agement approach to address an arrangement of the data into and information management signing and implementing the these challenges. multi-dimensional arrays, called strategies for flux and related infrastructure for a global data- The FLUXNET community has data cubes, to allow fast analy- data. The goal of the meeting base, coordinating and synchro- been a leading example of data sis. The benefit of data cubes is was to begin discussions on nizing data management and acquisition and sharing for over a near instantaneous analysis of some standards (required flux processing across regional net- 13 years and has built trust large datasets that provides parameters, standard names and works, standardizing and enhanc- within the scientific community. useful information for selection units, common file formats, re- ing data quality analysis, and Currently, the data management of variables, sites or data sum- quired ancillary data) with the implementing proper security team is including new technolo- maries. aim to create a uniform/common protocols. These requirements gies and working across disci- View full workshop report:: database approach worldwide will define the structure and plines. An example is the in- Vargas R, Cook R, Agarwal D, where improvements /tools components of future data man- volvement of computer scientists Boden T, Papale D, van Ingen C, Yang made by one regional network agement systems that will help from the Berkeley Water Cen- B, Baldocchi DD.(2007) The Future of can be readily applied to the the scientific community to un- ter, University of Virginia, and the Worldwide Flux Tower Databases. others. To do this requires that dertake synthesis studies, testing Microsoft in developing an on- Mini-workshop report. each regional network follow a of hypotheses or model predic- line analytical processing-based common approach and works in tions, and for development of (OLAP) system to summarize www.fluxnet.ornl.gov/fluxnet/Other/ ways to create an interoperable new global models. The main the flux datasets from the Fluxnet_workshop_ORNL_2007v5.pdf

Page 4

Highlight Graduate Student Petra Kroon

When Rodrigo Vargas asked The research project I am point measurements and LDA me a few weeks ago to contrib- working on is again related to (Laser Doppler ) ute to the section “student of atmospheric turbulence. The measurements to investigate the “During the first year of the month” of the FLUXNET main goal is to determine the small scales during stable atmos- my PhD, we tested the newsletter, I was a little bit sur- exchange of CH4 and N2O from pheric conditions. We also per- suitability of a quantum prised that I should write my a managed peat land site in the form spectral analyses to validate cascade laser to perform own student of the month col- Netherlands. I operate together different filtering techniques. I EC measurements of CH umn. However, it is a very good with my ECN colleagues an eddy hope to show you some results 4 initiative to introduce PhD- covariance (EC) system consist- at the Workshop on EC meas- and N2O” students in our field. Therefore, ing of a quantum cascade laser urement of CH4 and N2O in it is a pleasure to introduce and a sonic anemometer. During Finland next April!! myself, my name is Petra Kroon the first year of my PhD, we (www.workshopEC2008.org) and I studied Applied at tested the suitability of a quan-

the Technical University of Delft tum cascade laser to perform EC

in the Netherlands. My master measurements of CH4 and N2O. Selected publication:

projects were focused on turbu- The results are recently pub- P.S. Kroon, A. Hensen, H.J.J.

lence topics, like the closure of lished (Kroon et al., BG, Vol. 4, Jonker, M.S. Zahniser, W.H. van 't

the surface energy balance and 715-728, 2007). At the moment, Veen and A.T. Vermeulen. (2007)

Suitability of quantum cascade laser the turbulent energy spectrum I am working on several projects

spectroscopy for CH4 and N2O during stable atmospheric condi- to quantify the quality of our EC

flux measure- tions. I started my PhD-project, measurements. With my col- ments, Biogeosciences, 4: 715-728

in narrow collaboration with the leagues from Delft University, I

Technical University of Delft, at use LES (Large Eddy Simulations)

ECN in the Netherlands in 2005. to check the goodness of one Petra Kroon

contact: P. S Kroon ([email protected]) Page 5

FLUXNET Synthesis Dataset Collaboration Infrastructure Deb Agarwal, Marty Humphrey, Catharine van Ingen, Norm Beekwilder, Monte Goode, Keith Jackson, Matt Rodriguez, and Robin Weber

The Fluxnet synthesis dataset The ancillary data describing the tion support and the support Fluxnet synthesis dataset. This originally compiled for the La sites continues to evolve as well. team attended the workshop new web site is based on a Thuile workshop contained ap- There are on the order of 120 and worked closely with the scientific data server which proximately 600 site years. Since site contacts and 60 proposals attendees and the Fluxnet pro- enables browsing of the data on the workshop, several additional have been approved to use the ject office to define the require- -line, data download, and ver- site years have been added and data. These proposals involve ments for the support infrastruc- sion tracking. We leverage the dataset now contains over around 120 researchers. The ture. database and data analysis tools 920 site years from over 240 size and complexity of the data- As a result of this effort, a new such as OLAP data cubes and sites. A data refresh update is set and collaboration has led to a web site (http:// web reports to enable browser expected to increase those num- new approach to providing ac- www.fluxdata.org) has been and Excel pivot table access to bers in the next few months. cess to the data and collabora- created to provide access to the the data. The data cubes pro-

Above: distribution of FLUXNET participating sites (See web site http://www.fluxdata.org)

FLUXNET Synthesis cont. on page 6 Page 6

FLUXNET Synthesis Dataset FLUXNET Synthesis cont. from page 5

vide organization and aggrega- sions and updates, notify users of site information, average values, with the coordinator and col- tion of data along dimensions data updates, and enable support and data availability information laborators on the proposal as such as time to allow easy re- for contact between site PIs and as well as descriptions and expla- well as the sites planned for use trieval of daily, monthly, and researchers hoping to use their nations of the dataset variables in the analysis. Links to network yearly aggregated values. In data. and data levels. These reports specific information are also addition, we have leveraged The Fluxdata web site makes are presented as spreadsheets provided. Currently only the available collaboration technol- available extensive information for ease of download and are AmeriFlux network has informa- ogy (SharePoint) to provide about the dataset most of which derived from a database contain- tion posted but other networks web pages describing the data- is available under the “Dataset ing the Fluxnet data and are are welcome to contribute infor- set, provide proposer and site Information” tab. Here you will refreshed periodically. A list of mation as well. PI data access, track data ver- find interactive site maps, basic the approved proposals along The “Blog” contains news

Above: Information about participating sites (See web site http://www.fluxdata.org) Above: FLUXNET data download screen

Above: Excel pivot access to the summary data

FLUXNET Synthesis cont. on page 7 Page 7

FLUXNET Synthesis Dataset FLUXNET Synthesis cont. from page 6

items about the web site, data- from their site and support for FluxLetter set, and processing progress. communication with proposal “This new web site is The “User Support” tab pro- teams using the site. The Newsletter of based on a scientific data vides access to a user manual Using the Fluxdata web site FLUXNET describing how to use each of and Scientific Data Server, re- server which enables

the areas of the site. searchers can keep up-to-date browsing of the data on- Vol.1 No.1 February, 2008

line, data download, and version tracking.” FluxLetter is produced quarterly at the FLUXNET Office with support from the “The data cubes provide National Science Foundation. organization and aggre- gation of data along di- mensions such as time to allow easy retrieval of daily, monthly, and yearly aggregated values”

From left to right: M. Rodriguez, C. van Ingen, D. Papale, M. Reichstein, D. Agarwal, D. Baldocchi

Authorized members of the with the latest updates to the The name for FluxLetter Fluxnet collaboration can sign- dataset, select sites of interest in at the web site and obtain for analysis, and communicate Zoltan Barcza access to a range of additional with others in the collaboration. proposed the functions. The “Data Browsing” The resulting site and capabilities name FluxLetter tab provides access to all avail- we believe allow individual re- as a response to able site ancillary data as well as searchers to concentrate on a poll in the summary annual values for the science rather than data manage- FLUXNET variables. It also provides di- ment. This site and server are Young Scientist forum. Zoltan is rect connection to the data brought to you by the Berkeley an assistant professor at the cube for direct browsing of the Water Center and University of Department of Meteorology, at This issue of FluxLetter was data. The “Data Download” tab Virginia in collaboration with the Eötvös Loránd University. He edited, designed and produced by enables download of site years Fluxnet community and in par- earned his M.S. in Meteorology Rodrigo Vargas selected by the user. Changes ticular Dario Papale. Funding for (1994), and a Ph.D. in Meteorol- [email protected] to site ancillary information can the site development has been ogy (2001), from Eötvös Loránd FLUXNET Office, 137 Mulford also be submitted via the provided by Microsoft Re- University, Budapest. His re- Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 “Ancillary Data Update” tab. search’s eScience program. This search area is the determination ph: 1-(510)-642-2421 Proposal coordinators are able site is continually evolving and of the carbon budget of the Fax: 1-(510)-643-5098 to maintain the list of sites in we welcome comments and Hegyhátsál region (Western use for their analysis and com- input from the community. Hungary) based on measure- We plan to make the FLUXNET municate with site PIs via e- ments on a tall tower. For more newsletter a powerful information, networking, and communication mail. The next major functional- You can reach the support information visit: resource for the community. If you ity planned for the Fluxdata team at: want to contribute to any section or web site is to add site PI access [email protected] http://bzoli.web.elte.hu/index.html propose a new one please contact the to flux-met and ancillary data FLUXNET Office. THANKS!!