Impacts of urbanization on energy balance in a central Amazonia city

We investigate the components of radiation and energy balance and heat storage flux in an urban area of Central Amazonia, during the wet and dry seasons of 2022. Detailed radiation and turbulent energy fluxes measurements were conducted using a 30-meter micrometeorological tower. The analyses include an assessment of the energy balance closure, incorporating the urban canopy heat storage term. The main findings were: (i) A footprint analysis showed that during the wet season, the primary energy flux sources were from the impermeable surfaces, while in the dry season, in addition to impermeable surfaces, green areas also influenced the fluxes; (ii) Incoming shortwave radiation was significantly higher during the dry season; (iii) Albedo was higher in dry season compared to the wet season; (iv) Latent heat flux showed low sensitivity to seasonal variability, compared to sensible heat flux; (v) Energy balance closure significantly improved with the inclusion of urban canopy heat storage and soil heat flux, highlighting their critical roles in reducing energy imbalances. The measurements presented in this study are the first Eddy Covariance measurements for an urban region of the Amazon. These results are important for urban climate modeling in tropical regions, providing insights into the impacts of urbanization in the Amazon region.