Interactions of Land-Surface Processes and the East Asian Monsoon

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will study the role of vegetation processes (changes in land use) and snow cover in East Asia, especially on the Tibetan Plateau, in influencing monsoon evolution by modulating the thermal gradients and Bowen ratio - a ratio of the transport or gradient equations of sensible heat and latent heat) at the land surface. A coupled general circulation model and Simplified Simple Biosphere Model will be used to perform a series of 20-year runs spanning the period 1982-2001. This project promotes international collaboration between the United States and China, also providing access to otherwise unavailable data sets to facilitate model verification. A significant student-training component is included in the work, and the project is expected to make a major contribution in a formerly neglected area of research.