In situ observation of energy, water and CO2 fluxes over the Meteopole site in Toulouse

Coordinator	Jean-Christophe Calvet
CNRM contacts	Jean-Christophe Calvet, Olivier Garrouste, William Maurel
CNRM teams	GMME/VEGEO, GMEI/4M, GMEI/TRAMM
Project web site
Type	Field campaing
Start date	June 2012
Duration	Long term

 Goals

Contribute to the terrestrial ecosystem monitoring international effort (grasslands in particular):

– measure in real time the atmospheric variables together with energy, water and CO2 fluxes, on a subhourly basis

– measure in real time the soil temperature and soil moisture profiles, on a subhourly basis

– characterize vegetation (measurements of the reflectance and of solar radiation absorption by the vegetation)

 CNRM contribution

CNRM has acquired a long experience of the long-term monitoring of grassland ecosystems. The installation of an experimental site at the Meteopole facilitates the maintenance and the acquisition of data in real time. Moreover, this new infrastructure offers the possibility of implementing training actions and of testing new atmospheric and land remote sensing sensors.

 Project description

The METEOPOLE-FLUX project aims at performing a long term monitoring of a grassland site at the limit of a large city (Toulouse). These data will contribute to the international effort to monitor terrestrial ecosystems. They will be used to validate and improve the ISBA land surface model developed by CNRM.

The measurement system is composed of:

• a 10 meter mast for mesurement at 2m and 10m heights of standard meteorological variables (air temperature, air humidity, and wind speed)
• a 3 meters mast which supports the sensors for turbulent surface flux measuments (ultrasonic anemometer, fast hygrometer);
• a 3.1 m high platform for the measurement of upward and downward radiation components
• fine profile measurements of soil temperature and soil moisture from the surface down to a 2 meter depth

 Data quick-look

Last measurements day :

 Expected results or deliverables

Various processes will be studied. One may cite in particular the absorption of solar radiation by the vegetation, the root water uptake and the impact of droughts on the vegetation, the soil thermal and hydraulic conductivities. The impact of these processes on photosynthesis, plant growth and energy, water and CO2 surface fluxes will be analysed.

 Consortium

This project is a self-funded initiative of CNRM. Collaborations have been established with several research labs (INRA, CESBIO, GET).

This site contributes to the ICOS network as an associated level 3 site ("FR-Tou"), and to the ACTRIS-FR network (heat fluxes only).