A new approach to measuring the aerodynamic resistance to evaporation within a northern peatland using a modified Bellani plate atmometer

This study considers evaporation from northern peatlands, which are important global stores of soil carbon. Evaporation is commonly simulated using the Penman–Monteith model. The model incorporates the aerodynamic resistance to vapour transfer (ra), which can currently only be measured using expensive, labour intensive micro-meteorological methods. A new approach to measuring ra is presented. The approach involves accurately measuring the evaporation from a modified Bellani plate atmometer, of known surface resistance and temperature. With knowledge of basic meteorological parameters, ra can then be calculated. The approach is compared to modelled resistances within a northern peatland: no significant difference was found between modelled and measured ra.