Evaluation of six parameterization approaches for the ground heat flux

There are numerous approaches to the parameterization of the ground heat flux that use different input data, are valid for different times of the day, and deliver results of different quality. Six of these approaches are tested in this study: three approaches calculating the ground heat flux from net radiation, one approach using the turbulent sensible heat flux, one simplified in situ measurement approach, and the force-restore method. On the basis of a data set recorded during the LITFASS-2003 experiment, the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches are assessed. The quality of the best approaches (simplified measurement and force-restore) approximates that of the measured data set. An approach calculating the ground heat flux from net radiation and the diurnal amplitude of the soil surface temperature also delivers satisfactory daytime results. The remaining approaches all have such serious drawbacks that they should only be applied with care. Altogether, this study demonstrates that ground heat flux parameterization has the potential to produce results matching measured ones very well, if all conditions and restrictions of the respective approaches are taken into account.