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A model of surface heat fluxes based on the theory of maximum entropy production
Author(s) -
Wang J.,
Bras Rafael L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2009wr007900
Subject(s) - entropy production , dissipation , entropy (arrow of time) , heat transfer , thermodynamics , principle of maximum entropy , physics , mechanics , mathematics , statistical physics , statistics
A model of heat fluxes over a dry land surface is proposed based on the theory of maximum entropy production (MEP) as a special case of the maximum entropy principle (MaxEnt). When the turbulent heat transfer in the atmospheric boundary layer is parameterized using a Monin‐Obukhov similarity model, a dissipation function or entropy production function may be expressed in terms of the heat fluxes following the MEP formalism. A solution of the heat fluxes can be obtained by finding the extreme of the dissipation function under the constraint of conservation of energy for a given energy input (i.e., net radiation) at the surface. The MEP solution of the surface heat fluxes is tested using observations from fields experiments.