1. Introduction to Land Information System (LIS)
Dr. Jing Zeng
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Nov 25, 2014

2. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Basic Models
3. Model test example

3. 1. Introduction – why we need land surface model
Land covers 30% of the Earth’s surface
Shelter for human beings
Storage of freshwater (essential for human life)
Greater variability of weather above land than oceans

4. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Basic Models

5. Data Assimilation Modules
About LIS – the physics
Inputs
Physics
Outputs
Applications
Topography,
Soils
Land Surface Models
Soil
Moisture &
Temperature
Weather/
Climate
Water
Resources
Homeland
Security
Military
Ops
Natural
Hazards
Land Cover,
Vegetation
Properties
Evaporation
Sensible Heat
Flux
Meteorological
Forecasts,
Analyses, and/or
Observations
Runoff
Data Assimilation Modules
Snow
Soil Moisture
Temperature
Snowpack
Properties

6. LIS software architecture
Driver layer
Abstractions layer
Model layer

7. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Basic Models
3. Test Example

8. Simulation of land surface properties
Land surface model: Noah
Forcing data: NLDAS (1/8th-degree grid spacing )
Year: 2005~2006

9. Soil moisture variation at NE

10. Variation of soil temperature and soil moisture
NLDAS Noah Soil Hydraulic Properties Dataset
The Noah LSM was configured for NLDAS to have 4 soil moisture layers with thicknesses (from top) of 10cm, 30cm, 60cm, and 100cm - for a total soil column depth of 2 meters. All 4 soil layers use the same soil texture (predominant surface soil classes shown above) and thus use the same soil parameter values for all layers as well. A lookup table and calculations based on soil texture class are used in the Noah code, but maps of the NLDAS Noah LSM soil parameter values are provided below

11. 1m depth soil moisture and temperature variation

12. Variation of land surface sensible and latent heat flux