climate
Gash et al. (1996) appears in a book (32 papers) describing the initial scientific output from the project, and is based on much of the data contained within this data base. The published output from the project is listed below including the titles of the papers which appear in the book.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Publications using these data should acknowledge the source of the data as follows:
These data were collected under the ABRACOS project and made available by the UK Institute of Hydrology and the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (Brazil). ABRACOS is a collaboration between the Agencia Brasileira de Cooperacao and the UK Overseas Development Administration.
Please send copies of publications to:
| Dr C.A. Nobre ABRACOS Brazilian Coordinator CPTEC/INPE CP01 12630, Cachoeira Paulista, SP Brazil Tel: +55 125 712815 Fax: +55 125 612835
|
Dr J.H.C. Gash ABRACOS British Coordinator Institute of Hydrology Wallingford Oxon, OX10 8BB UK Tel: +44 1491 692331 Fax: +55 125 612835 Fax: +44 1491 692424 |
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Anglo-BRazilian Climate Observation Study (ABRACOS) were to monitor Amazonian climate and improve the understanding of the consequences of deforestation, and to provide data for the calibration and validation of GCMs and GCM sub-models of Amazonian forest and post- deforestation pasture (Shuttleworth et al, 1991).
SITES
Three areas where instrumented, each with different soils, dry season intensities and deforestation densities (Gash et al,1996). In each area an automatic weather station and soil moisture measurement equipment were installed: in a primary forest site and in nearby cattle pasture, for monitoring climate and soil status throughout the year. Additional intensive periods of study (or Missions), of varying duration, were operated at these sites: for calibration purposes, to understand the physical processes relevant to each site and for detailed comparisons between sites.
The site codes used in this text, and in the file names are as follows:
| FD | Fazenda Dimona | Manaus |
| NS | Fazenda Nossa Senhora Aparecida | Ji-Parana |
| BS | Fazenda Boa Sorte | Maraba |
| RD | Reserva Ducke | Manaus |
| RJ | Reserva Jaru | Ji-Parana |
| RV | Reserva Vale do Rio Doce | Maraba |
| MS | Urban climate | Manaus |
STUDY TOPICS
The data are grouped into the six topics mentioned above. Each group having one or more data files.
There now follows a brief description of the type of data to be found within each study topic.
1. AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION (AWS) DATA
Hourly average climate data including temperature, humidity, rainfall and radiation balance. The weather stations where installed between September 1990 and August 1991 and, with the exception of the Manaus urban AWS, the data herein terminates at December 1993. However, the stations where not closed down on this date but continue to be operated by INPE (Sao Jose dos Campos). Data from seven AWSs are given: representing pasture and forest and each of the three ABRACOS regions (central, Manaus; south- western, Ji Parana; and eastern, Maraba) plus data from an AWS located to represent the urban climate of Manaus city.
2. MICROMETEOROLOGY
Hourly estimates of evaporation, heat flux and conductances supported by calibrated estimates of the hourly momentum flux and atmospheric stability. The data were recorded during intensive study periods at the three pairs of sites where the AWSs were installed, and range in duration from 3 weeks to 3 months.
3. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Plant physiological data are grouped into the three information types outlined below.
a. Pasture structure (in AB-VEG1.EXE)
ALLLAI.DAT is a single file which tabulates the physical properties of 2 sites (Fazenda Dimona and Fazenda Nossa Senhora), including height, leaf and stem area index, and biomass.
b. Porometry (in AB-VEG1.EXE)
The seven 'LEAF' files contain porometry and leaf water potential measurements for pasture and forest. The tabulation includes leaf temperature, PAR, leaf stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, leaf carbon dioxide concentration and leaf water potential.
c. In-canopy forest profiles
A total of 29 files giving 10 minute profiles of Photo-synthetically Active Radiation, PAR, (in AB-VEG1.EXE), and profiles of temperature, humidity and wind speed (in AB-VEG2.EXE and AB-VEG3.EXE) at the Manaus and Ji-Parana forest sites. The profiles have six levels from the top of the canopy to about 5m from the ground.
4. SOIL MOISTURE
Mean soil moisture content is presented for the three pairs of forest and pasture sites at which the AWSs were installed. The data were recorded about once every 7 days, and at 20-30cm depth increments from the surface down to 3.6m. More frequent measurements were made during the intensive data missions.
5. CARBON FLUX DATA
Two files contain the M3 (1992) and M45 (1993) carbon flux measurements from over the forest at Reserva Jaru. These hourly data are independent estimates of carbon dioxide and vapour fluxes measured using eddy correlation techniques. Further details in AB-FXC.TXT
6. FOREST RAINFALL INTERCEPTION
Not yet available