Dew measurements along a longitudinal sand dune transect, Negev Desert, Israel.
In a desert environment dew can serve as an important source of moisture for plants, biological crusts, insects and small animals. A measurement programme was carried out within a sand dune belt situated in the northwestern Negev desert, Israel, to measure daily amounts of dew deposition as well as micro-meteorological conditions during the dew formation and early-morning drying process. Dew quantities were measured by micro-lysimeters along a 200-m transect as well as by the eddy-correlation technique at a reference location. A simple physical model was constructed to simulate the dew deposition process as well as early-morning drying for the interdune area and the north- and south-facing dune slopes. Measurements carried out during September and October 1997 showed that the daily amounts of dew ranged between 0.1 mm/night and 0.3 mm/night within the interdune area. On the slopes, the amounts of dew were about 50% lower. Simulated results agreed well with the field data.
Jacobs
A F
AF
Meteorology and Air Quality Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
Heusinkveld
B G
BG
Berkowicz
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D003889:Desert Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D007557:Israel; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
D014867:Water