Jungle Research Group
at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center

David Fitzjarrald and Otavio Acevedo have used the changing energy balance which accompanies spring leaf emergence as a means of identifying the location of the "vernal front". Data from 789 climate stations (daily maximum and minimum temperatures) have been assembled and examined statistically for the day of the year when a kind of Bowen ratio contructed from the tendencies in these variables crosses one.

Click here for an animation showing daily maximum temperatures. The pink line is the vernal front.

Click here for an animation showing daily minimum temperatures. The pink line is the vernal front

Atmospheric Sciences Research Center:  Jungle Research Group