Evaluation of latent heat flux simulation in the Noah Land Surface Model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model: Insights from scaled outdoor experiments with tree evapotranspiration

Wu, Zhanmin, Li, Xian-Xiang, Hang, Jian, Zeng, Liyue, Luo, Zhiwen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2082-3958, Shi, Yurong, Yuan, Hua and Chen, Guanwen 2026. Evaluation of latent heat flux simulation in the Noah Land Surface Model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model: Insights from scaled outdoor experiments with tree evapotranspiration. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 123 , 129549. 10.1016/j.ufug.2026.129549

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Abstract

The land surface model coupled with urban canopy models are essential for simulating urban energy exchange, yet accurately simulating latent heat flux from tree evapotranspiration (QE,tree) remains challenging due to parameterization uncertainties. Meanwhile, high-quality observational data are also needed for effective model calibration and validation. In order to evaluate the simulation uncertainty and identify pathways for future improvement, this study assesses the Noah Land Surface Model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model (NoahLSM/SLUCM) using observations from the Scaled Outdoor Measurement of Urban Climate and Health (SOMUCH) platform in subtropical Guangzhou, China. The results confirm that implementing the Penman-Monteith equation in the model reduces the maximum QE,tree simulation error from 18.1% to 84.8–2.3%-45.8%. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the current approach overestimates aerodynamic (rA) and canopy (rC) resistances. By addressing these overestimations of rA and rC, the RMSE of QE,tree simulation is reduced by 20.9% and the correlation coefficient increases from 0.274 to 0.494, compared to the default parameterization. Under optimal settings, the model shifts emphasis toward water vapor content terms, rather than net radiation terms, highlighting the importance of water vapor content in accurate QE,tree simulation. These findings demonstrate the critical role of appropriate resistance parameterization for reliable QE,tree simulation and urban climate studies.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Additional Information:	RRS policy applied. License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: Title: This article is under embargo with an end date yet to be finalised.
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	1618-8667
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 June 2026
Date of Acceptance:	15 May 2026
Last Modified:	09 Jun 2026 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187475

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