Measurements of the local energy balance over a coral reef flat, Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

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dc.contributor.authorMcGowan HA
dc.contributor.authorSturman AP
dc.contributor.authorWiebe AH
dc.contributor.authorNeil DT
dc.contributor.authorMacKellar MC
dc.date.accessioned2019-09-16T21:46:02Z
dc.date.available2019-09-16T21:46:02Z
dc.date.issued2010en
dc.date.updated2019-07-12T02:07:50Z
dc.description.abstractCoral reefs are thought to face significant threat from global warming due to increased water temperatures and ocean acidity. However, research into the surface energy balance of coral reefs and their associated micrometeorology is rare. Here we present, through a case study approach, the first direct in situ measurements of the surface energy balance of Heron Reef, a small platform coral reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Surface energy exchanges were measured using the eddy covariance method and show that during winter and spring an estimated 80-98% of net radiation goes into heating of the water overlaying the reef and reef substrate. As a result, cloud cover is considered the dominant control on heating of the reef flat environment. Change in cloud cover may therefore significantly affect the thermal environment of coral reefs and their ecology. Sensible and latent heat fluxes reached their highest values during wintertime advection of dry and cool continental air blowing from mainland Australia. This resulted in a net loss of energy from the reef flat and a decreasing trend in water temperature. Turbulent fluxes otherwise remained small, with sensible heat flux often close to zero. Results indicate that coral reefs may act as heat sinks during winter and as heat sources during spring, thereby affecting local water and atmosphere heat budgets and associated thermodynamics. Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.en
dc.identifier.citationMcGowan HA, Sturman AP, Mackellar MC, Wiebe AH, Neil DT (2010). Measurements of the local energy balance over a coral reef flat, Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres. 115(D19124).en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD014218
dc.identifier.issn0148-0227
dc.identifier.issn2169-8996
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/17129
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAMER GEOPHYSICAL UNIONen
dc.subjectScience & Technologyen
dc.subjectPhysical Sciencesen
dc.subjectMeteorology & Atmospheric Sciencesen
dc.subjectGEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARYen
dc.subjectEDDY-COVARIANCE METHODen
dc.subjectBLEACHING EVENTSen
dc.subjectLAKE EVAPORATIONen
dc.subjectFLUXen
dc.subjectWEATHERen
dc.subjectBUDGETen
dc.subjectCLIMATOLOGYen
dc.subjectPACIFICen
dc.subjectCLOSUREen
dc.subjectLATENTen
dc.subject.anzsrcField of Research::05 - Environmental Sciences::0501 - Ecological Applications::050101 - Ecological Impacts of Climate Changeen
dc.subject.anzsrcField of Research::04 - Earth Sciences::0401 - Atmospheric Sciences::040104 - Climate Change Processesen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::37 - Earth sciences::3701 - Atmospheric sciences::370108 - Meteorologyen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::31 - Biological sciences::3103 - Ecology::310305 - Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)en
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::37 - Earth sciences::3708 - Oceanography::370801 - Biological oceanographyen
dc.titleMeasurements of the local energy balance over a coral reef flat, Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australiaen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
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