FluxnetLSM R package (v1.0): A community tool for processing FLUXNET data for use in land surface modelling

Anna M. Ukkola*, Ned Haughton, Martin G. De Kauwe, Gab Abramowitz, Andy J. Pitman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Flux towers measure ecosystem-scale surface-atmosphere exchanges of energy, carbon dioxide and water vapour. The network of flux towers now encompasses ∼900 sites, spread across every continent. Consequently, these data have become an essential benchmarking tool for land surface models (LSMs). However, these data as released are not immediately usable for driving, evaluating and benchmarking LSMs. Flux tower data must first be transformed into a LSM-readable file format, a process which involves changing units, screening missing data and varying degrees of additional gap-filling. All of this often leads to an under-utilisation of these data in model benchmarking. To resolve some of these issues, and to help make flux tower measurements more widely used, we present a reproducible, open-source R package that transforms the FLUXNET2015 and La Thuile data releases into community standard NetCDF files that are directly usable by LSMs. We note that these data would also be useful for any other user or community seeking to independently quality control, gap-fill or use the FLUXNET data.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3379-3390
Number of pages12
JournalGeoscientific Model Development
Volume10
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Sept 2017

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements. We acknowledge the support of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science (CE110001028). Martin G. De Kauwe was supported by Australian Research Council Linkage grant LP140100232. This work used eddy covariance data acquired and shared by the FLUXNET community, including these networks: AmeriFlux, AfriFlux, AsiaFlux, CarboAfrica, CarboEuropeIP, CarboItaly, CarboMont, ChinaFlux, Fluxnet-Canada, GreenGrass, ICOS, KoFlux, LBA, NECC, OzFlux-TERN, TCOS-Siberia and USCCC. The ERA-Interim reanalysis data are provided by ECMWF and processed by LSCE. The FLUXNET eddy covariance data processing and harmonisation was carried out by the European Fluxes Database Cluster, AmeriFlux Management Project and Fluxdata project of FLUXNET, with the support of CDIAC and ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Center, and the OzFlux, ChinaFlux and AsiaFlux offices.

Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) 2017.

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