Connections Between Daily Surface Temperature Contrast and CO<sub>2</sub> Flux Over a Tibetan Lake: A Case Study of Ngoring Lake
Bo Han, Xianhong Meng, Qinghua Yang, Renhao Wu, Shihua Lv, Zhaoguo Li, Xin Wang, Yubin Li, Lejiang Yu
Abstract
Abstract To get a deep understand of the carbon cycle of Tibetan lakes, the CO 2 flux over Ngoring Lake (NL), a large freshwater lake in the source region of the Yellow River, was monitored from 2011 to 2013 using an eddy covariance system. Based on the monthly mean CO 2 flux, NL was a significant sink of atmospheric CO 2 in 2012, with the greatest negative (downward) CO 2 flux of −0.83 (±0.27) g C m −2 d −1 occurring in October. While in 2011 and 2013, NL was in quasi‐equilibrium with atmospheric CO 2 . The process controlling the daily variation in the CO 2 flux was investigated using statistical analysis. The daily mean of the surface wind speed was significantly correlated with the observed daily CO 2 flux. Under the assumption that the vertical gradient in the CO 2 concentration near the water surface varied slowly, this correlation confirms the rationality of using the surface wind to express the gas transfer velocity. Following this consideration, because the thermal contrast between NL and the surrounding grassland was also significantly correlated with the daily CO 2 flux, a new parameterization scheme of k 600 is suggested in this study. Potential mechanisms for the coupling process between the surface wind and the thermal contrast of the lake are discussed. Based on the surface energy balance analysis, the heat storage rate of the lake played different roles in the CO 2 fluxes during the three years, depending on the CO 2 saturation of the lake water. The process controlling the monthly mean CO 2 flux was also investigated.