Abstract
The surface energy balance (SEB) model is a physically based approach in which aerodynamic principles and bulk transfer theory are used to estimate actual evapotranspiration. A wide range of different methods have been developed to parameterize the SEB equation; however, few studies addressed solutions to the SEB considering the land surface temperature (LST). Therefore, in the current review, a clear and comprehensive classification is provided for energy-based approaches considering the key role of LST in solving the energy budget. In this regard, three general approaches are presented using LSTs derived by climate and land surface models (LSMs), satellite-based data, and energy balance closure. In addition, this review surveys the concepts, required inputs, and assumptions of energy-based LSMs and SEB algorithms in detail. The limitations and challenges of aforementioned approaches including land surface temperature, surface energy imbalance, and calculation of surface and aerodynamic resistance network are also assessed. According to the results, since the accuracy of resulting LSTs are affected by weather conditions, surface energy closure, and use of vegetation/meteorological information, all approaches are faced with uncertainties in determining ET. In addition, for further study, an interactive evaluation of water and energy conservation laws is recommended to improve the ET estimation accuracy.
Highlights
Evapotranspiration (ET), which consists of evaporation and transpiration simultaneously, is defined as the process of water loss from the earth’s surface to the atmosphere
Due to the absence of a sufficiently dense network of stations measuring land surface temperature (LST), the surface temperature values are obtained from indirect methods, which leads to the development of various models of ET estimation
The current review provided a clear classification for ET models based on available retrieval methods of LST information
Summary
Evapotranspiration (ET), which consists of evaporation (physical component) and transpiration (biological component) simultaneously, is defined as the process of water loss from the earth’s surface to the atmosphere. By considering physical principles for estimating LEa over soil and vegetated surfaces, Monteith [10] improved the Penman model by introducing canopy and aerodynamic resistances, and the popular Penman–Monteith equation was formed. The remote-sensing-based Ecosystem–Atmosphere Simulation Scheme (EASS) model is another multi-layer land surface model that adopts the PM equation for the estimation of components of ET by using a two-leaf strategy, which improves the accuracy of energy fluxes by almost 10% compared to the one-leaf strategy [101]. Some of the main LSMs based on the direct solution of the energy balance at the land surface are discussed below: Biosphere–Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) In 1981, a Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) scheme was developed using the approaches of [107] in formulating the soil temperature and vegetation interception [108]. Inefficiency in snowpack-related parameterizations Due to the non-closure of the energy budget, some conflicting results may arise
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