Thermodynamics and optimality of the water budget on land: A review

Kleidon, Axel; Schymanski, Stanislaus J.

doi:10.1029/2008gl035393

Cited by 111 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Soil water potential µ soil is formulated as the sum of the modified matric potential M and the gravitational potential of water in the soil (Kleidon and Schymanski, 2008). In general, both potentials vary with the height z of the soil water:…”

Section: The Potential Of Water In Different Parts Of the Hydrologicamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The potential of water vapour in the atmospheric boundary layer is written as (Kleidon and Schymanski, 2008):…”

Section: The Potential Of Water In Different Parts Of the Hydrologicamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another advantage of a thermodynamic formulation of hydrological processes is the possibility to apply the principle of Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) to the respective models (Kleidon and Schymanski, 2008). This is explained using the example of root water uptake at the global scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Entropy production of soil hydrological processes and its maximisation

2011

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Abstract. Hydrological processes are irreversible and produce entropy. Hence, the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics is used here to describe them mathematically. This means flows of water are written as functions of gradients in the gravitational and chemical potential of water between two parts of the hydrological system. Such a framework facilitates a consistent thermodynamic representation of the hydrological processes in the model. Furthermore, it allows for the calculation of the entropy production associated with a flow of water, which is proportional to the product of gradient and flow. Thus, an entropy budget of the hydrological cycle at the land surface is quantified, illustrating the contribution of different processes to the overall entropy production. Moreover, the proposed Principle of Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) can be applied to the model. This means, unknown parameters can be determined by setting them to values which lead to a maximisation of the entropy production in the model. The model used in this study is parametrised according to MEP and evaluated by means of several observational datasets describing terrestrial fluxes of water and carbon. The model reproduces the data with good accuracy which is a promising result with regard to the application of MEP to hydrological processes at the land surface.

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Section: The Potential Of Water In Different Parts Of the Hydrologicamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The potential of water vapour in the atmospheric boundary layer is written as (Kleidon and Schymanski, 2008):…”

Section: The Potential Of Water In Different Parts Of the Hydrologicamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Entropy production of soil hydrological processes and its maximisation

2011

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“…Juretic and Zupanovic [2003] found that the MEP may govern the photosynthetic processes. Evidence accumulated so far suggests that the MEP theory could explain transport phenomena in the far from equilibrium systems over a wide range of space and time scales [Kleidon and Schymanski, 2008]. We intend to show that the MEP not only explains the observed behavior of nonequilibrium thermodynamic processes, but also can provide a predictive tool in modeling the transport processes quantitatively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model of surface heat fluxes based on the theory of maximum entropy production

Wang

Bras

2009

Water Resources Research

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[1] A model of heat fluxes over a dry land surface is proposed based on the theory of maximum entropy production (MEP) as a special case of the maximum entropy principle (MaxEnt). When the turbulent heat transfer in the atmospheric boundary layer is parameterized using a Monin-Obukhov similarity model, a dissipation function or entropy production function may be expressed in terms of the heat fluxes following the MEP formalism. A solution of the heat fluxes can be obtained by finding the extreme of the dissipation function under the constraint of conservation of energy for a given energy input (i.e., net radiation) at the surface. The MEP solution of the surface heat fluxes is tested using observations from fields experiments.Citation: Wang, J., and R. L. Bras (2009), A model of surface heat fluxes based on the theory of maximum entropy production, Water Resour. Res., 45, W11422,

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“…The MEP principle has recently gained increased attention (e.g. recent reviews by Ozawa et al (2003), Martyushev & Seleznev (2006), Kleidon & Schymanski (2008) and Kleidon (2009b) and the book by Kleidon & Lorenz (2005)), but has mostly been applied to purely physical processes within the Earth system, such as turbulence in the atmosphere (e.g. Paltridge 1975Paltridge , 1978Grassl 1981;Lorenz et al 2001;Kleidon et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics, maximum entropy production and Earth-system evolution

Kleidon

2010

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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The present-day atmosphere is in a unique state far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This uniqueness is for instance reflected in the high concentration of molecular oxygen and the low relative humidity in the atmosphere. Given that the concentration of atmospheric oxygen has likely increased throughout Earth-system history, we can ask whether this trend can be generalized to a trend of Earth-system evolution that is directed away from thermodynamic equilibrium, why we would expect such a trend to take place and what it would imply for Earth-system evolution as a whole. The justification for such a trend could be found in the proposed general principle of maximum entropy production (MEP), which states that non-equilibrium thermodynamic systems maintain steady states at which entropy production is maximized. Here, I justify and demonstrate this application of MEP to the Earth at the planetary scale. I first describe the non-equilibrium thermodynamic nature of Earth-system processes and distinguish processes that drive the system's state away from equilibrium from those that are directed towards equilibrium. I formulate the interactions among these processes from a thermodynamic perspective and then connect them to a holistic view of the planetary thermodynamic state of the Earth system. In conclusion, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and MEP have the potential to provide a simple and holistic theory of Earth-system functioning. This theory can be used to derive overall evolutionary trends of the Earth's past, identify the role that life plays in driving thermodynamic states far from equilibrium, identify habitability in other planetary environments and evaluate human impacts on Earth-system functioning.

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Thermodynamics and optimality of the water budget on land: A review

Cited by 111 publications

References 42 publications

Entropy production of soil hydrological processes and its maximisation

Entropy production of soil hydrological processes and its maximisation

A model of surface heat fluxes based on the theory of maximum entropy production

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics, maximum entropy production and Earth-system evolution

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