Derivation of the energy balance components using dual angle observations of radiative surface temperature

In this study, dual angle observations of radiative surface temperature have been used in conjunction. with a two-layer model to derive surface fluxes over a sparsely vegetated surface. Data collected during the Semi-Arid-Land-Surface-Atmosphere program (SALSA) over a semi-arid grassland were used to assess the performance of the approach. The results showed that this approach led to reasonable estimates of the observed fluxes. However, a detailed analysis indicated that the fact that a given model correctly predict the total fluxes does not mean the contribution of soil and vegetation to these fluxes are well partitioned. Further study should be directed toward the improvement of the partitioning of soil and vegetation contribution to surface fluxes through a proper parameterization of extinction coefficient as well as the wind and humidity profiles within the canopy.