Long-term energy flux and radiation balance observations over Lake Ngoring, Tibetan Plateau

• We report a long-term eddy covariance measurement over a lake, Tibetan Plateau.
• A persistent unstable atmospheric stratification was maintained over the lake.
• There was a persistent positive sensible heat flux during ice-free period.
• The patterns of H versus the atmospheric stability were different from LE.

It remains unclear what are the characteristics of the surface energy budget and the radiation balance over the lake at high altitudes. Here we report a nearly two-year ice-free time measurement (2011–2012) of energy flux and radiation balance using the eddy covariance method over Lake Ngoring, Tibetan Plateau. A persistent unstable atmospheric boundary layer was maintained over the lake, caused by a higher water surface temperature compared with the overlying atmosphere. As a result, the positive sensible heat (H) and latent heat (LE) fluxes almost lasted throughout the entire observation period. The heat storage period of the lake could last until September, and the strongest heating occurred in October from the lake to the atmosphere. Compared with the subtropical lake, Bowen ratios were larger in Lake Ngoring, caused by a large temperature difference and a small specific humidity difference between the water surface and the overlying air. The patterns of H versus the atmospheric stability differed from those of LE. H was large under unstable stratification conditions and significantly decreased in the nearly neutral and stable atmospheric stratification. By contrast, the large LE concentrated in the weak unstable to the nearly neutral atmospheric stratification, and clearly declined with increased atmospheric instability. Overall, the vertical specific humidity difference contributed more to LE than the wind speed. As regards H, the major contributors varied with the atmospheric stability. The intrusion of dry, cold air with strong wind could result in significant increases in H and LE (approximately 2.0–4.5 times as much as those of normal days); during this period, the stored energy in water dramatically decreased and even could provide 70% of the energy for H and LE.