Latent heat flux is the flux of heat from the Earth's surface to the
atmosphereThe Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
that is associated with
evaporationEvaporation is the vaporization of a liquid and the reverse, of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid state spontaneously become gaseous . Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed...
or
transpirationTranspiration is the evaporation of water from the aerial parts of plants, especially leaves but also stems, flowers and roots. Leaf surfaces are dotted with openings called stoma that are bordered by guard cells. Collectively the structures are called stomata...
of water at the surface and subsequent
condensationCondensation is the change of the physical state of aggregation of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase and the reverse of evaporation. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, bypassing the liquid phase, the change is called deposition...
of
water vaporWater vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water. Water vapor is one state of the water cycle within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice...
in the
troposphereThe troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. It contains approximately 75 percent of the atmosphere's mass and 99 percent of its water vapor and aerosols....
. It is an important component of Earth's surface energy budget. Latent heat flux is commonly measured with the
Bowen ratioA Bowen ratio is the ratio of energy fluxes from one medium to another by sensible and latent heating respectively. It is calculated by the equationwhere is sensible heating and is latent heating...
technique, or by
eddy covarianceThe eddy covariance technique is a prime atmospheric flux measurement technique to measure and calculate vertical turbulent fluxes within atmospheric boundary layers...
.
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Latent heat flux is the flux of heat from the Earth's surface to the
atmosphereThe Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
that is associated with
evaporationEvaporation is the vaporization of a liquid and the reverse, of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid state spontaneously become gaseous . Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed...
or
transpirationTranspiration is the evaporation of water from the aerial parts of plants, especially leaves but also stems, flowers and roots. Leaf surfaces are dotted with openings called stoma that are bordered by guard cells. Collectively the structures are called stomata...
of water at the surface and subsequent
condensationCondensation is the change of the physical state of aggregation of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase and the reverse of evaporation. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, bypassing the liquid phase, the change is called deposition...
of
water vaporWater vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water. Water vapor is one state of the water cycle within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice...
in the
troposphereThe troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. It contains approximately 75 percent of the atmosphere's mass and 99 percent of its water vapor and aerosols....
. It is an important component of Earth's surface energy budget. Latent heat flux is commonly measured with the
Bowen ratioA Bowen ratio is the ratio of energy fluxes from one medium to another by sensible and latent heating respectively. It is calculated by the equationwhere is sensible heating and is latent heating...
technique, or by
eddy covarianceThe eddy covariance technique is a prime atmospheric flux measurement technique to measure and calculate vertical turbulent fluxes within atmospheric boundary layers...
.
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