Average Actual Evapotranspiration Research Articles

Calibration of SWAT2009 Using Crop Biomass, Evapotranspiration, and Deep Recharge: Calera Watershed in Zacatecas, Mexico Case Study

Groundwater is the main source of water in the semi-arid Calera watershed, located in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico. Due to increasing population, rapid industrial growth, and increased irrigation to meet growing food demand, groundwater extraction in the Calera watershed are exceeding recharge rates. Therefore, development and evaluation of alter-native water management strategies are needed for sustainable development of the region. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was selected for this purpose as it has been used to simulate a wide range of agricultural production, the extensive testing and application in diverse watersheds worldwide, and the potential for future linkage of this model to groundwater models. However, crucial flow data which are commonly used for calibrating hydrologic models are not available in this watershed. This paper describes a novel calibration methodology that uses biomass and water balance approach which has potential for calibration of hydrologic models in ungauged or data-scarce watersheds, which are prevalent in many parts of the world. Estimated long-term annual average actual evapotranspiration (AET), and deep aquifer recharge rates and plant biomass values based on the expert knowledge of researchers and managers in the watershed were used as targets for calibration. The model performance was assessed using the Nash-Sutcliffe effi-ciency coefficient (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and percent bias (PBIAS, %) statistics. On average, the calibrated SWAT model yielded annual Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient values of 0.95, 0.99, and 0.85 for AET, recharge, and biomass, respectively. The coefficient of determination, values for AET, recharge, and biomass were 0.95, 0.94, and 0.99 respectively. The percent bias values of ±2.21%, ±0.18%, and ±0.96% for AET, recharge, and biomass, respectively, indicated that the model reproduced the calibration target values of the three water budget variables within an acceptable value of ± 10.0%. Therefore, it is concluded that the calibrated SWAT model can be used in evaluating alternative water management scenarios for the Calera watershed without further validation. Considering the relative ease in developing calibration data and excellent performance statistics, the calibration methodology proposed in this study may have the potential to be used for ungauged or data-scare agricultural watersheds that are prevalent in many parts of the world.

Vegetation impact on mean annual evapotranspiration at a global catchment scale

Research into the role of catchment vegetation within the hydrologic cycle has a long history in the hydrologic literature. Relationships between vegetation type and catchment evapotranspiration and runoff were primarily assessed through paired catchment studies during the 20th century. Results from over 200 paired catchment studies from around the world have been reported in the literature. Two constraints on utilizing the results from paired catchment studies in the wider domain have been that the catchment areas studied are generally (1) small (<10 km2) and (2) from a narrow range of climate types. The majority of reported paired catchment studies are located in the USA (∼47%) and Australia (∼27%) and experience mainly temperate (Köppen C) and cold (Köppen D) climate types. In this paper we assess the impact of vegetation type on mean annual evapotranspiration through a large, spatially, and climatically diverse data set of 699 catchments from around the world. These catchments are a subset of 861 unregulated catchments considered for the analysis. Spatially averaged precipitation and temperature data, in conjunction with runoff and land cover information, are analyzed to draw broad conclusions about the vegetation impact on mean annual evapotranspiration. In this analysis any vegetation impact signal is assessed through differences in long‐term catchment average actual evapotranspiration, defined as precipitation minus runoff, between catchments grouped by vegetation type. This methodology differs from paired catchment studies where vegetation impact is assessed through streamflow responses to a controlled, within catchment, land cover change. The importance of taking the climate type experienced by the catchments into account when assessing the vegetation impact on evapotranspiration is demonstrated. Tropical and temperate forested catchments are found to have statistically significant higher median evapotranspiration, by about 170 mm and 130 mm, respectively, than non‐forested catchments. Unexpectedly, cold forested catchments exhibit significantly lower median evapotranspiration, by about 90 mm, than non‐forested catchments. No significant difference was found between median evapotranspiration of temperate evergreen and deciduous forested catchments though sample sizes were small. Temperate evergreen needleleaf forested catchments were found to have significantly higher median evapotranspiration than evergreen broadleaf forested catchments though sample sizes were small. The significant temperate forest versus non‐forest difference in median evapotranspiration was found to persist for catchments with areas <1,000 km2, but not for catchments with areas ≥1,000 km2, which is consistent with the suggestion that the vegetation impact on evapotranspiration diminishes as catchment area increases. In summary, the results presented here are consistent with those drawn from reviews of paired catchment results. However, this paper demonstrates the value of a diverse hydroclimatic data set when assessing the vegetation impact on evapotranspiration as the magnitude of impact is observed to vary across climate types.

Hydrogeology of the south-eastern Yucatan Peninsula: New insights from water level measurements, geochemistry, geophysics and remote sensing

Summary The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the world’s largest karstic aquifer systems. It is the sole freshwater source for human users and ecosystems. The region hosts internationally important groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in the 5280 km2 Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The GDEs are threatened by increasing groundwater abstractions and risks of pollution. Hydrogeological exploration work is needed as basis for sound groundwater management. A multidisciplinary approach was used to study this data-scarce region. Geochemical data and phreatic surface measurements showed distinct hydrogeological units in the groundwater catchment of Sian Ka’an. The hilly southwestern areas had a low hydraulic permeability, likely caused by a geology containing gypsum, whereas the transition zone and flat areas in the east and north had a high permeability. In the latter areas, the fresh groundwater could be described by a Dupuit–Ghyben–Herzberg lens. Geophysical borehole logging and time-domain electromagnetic soundings identified a shallow, low-resistive and high-gamma-radiation layer present throughout the hilly area and transition zone. Its thickness was 3–8 m, apparent conductivity was 200–800 mS/m and natural gamma-radiation about 80 counts pr. second. The layer is proposed to be ejecta from the Chicxulub impact (Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary). Spatial estimates of recharge were calculated from MODIS imagery using the ‘triangle method’. Average recharge constituted 17% of mean annual precipitation in the study area. Recharge was greatest in the hilly area and towards Valladolid. Near the coast, average actual evapotranspiration exceeded annual precipitation. The multidisciplinary approach used in this study is applicable to other catchment-scale studies.

A remote sensing driven distributed hydrological model of the Senegal River basin

Summary Distributed hydrological models require extensive data amounts for driving the models and for parameterization of the land surface and subsurface. This study investigates the potential of applying remote sensing (RS) based input data in a hydrological model for the 350,000 km 2 Senegal River basin in West Africa. By utilizing remote sensing data to estimate precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET) and leaf area index (LAI) the model was driven entirely by remote sensing based data and independent of traditional meteorological data. The remote sensing retrievals were based on data from the geostationary METEOSAT-7 and the polar orbiting advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) sensors using well documented techniques. The distributed hydrological model MIKE SHE was calibrated and validated against observed discharge for six individual subcatchments during the period 1998–2005. The model generally performed well for both root mean square error (RMSE), water balance error (WBE) and correlation coefficient ( R 2 ). For comparison a model based on standard meteorological driving variables was developed for a single subcatchment. The two models based on remote sensing and conventional data, respectively, exhibited similar model performances. Simulated actual evapotranspiration (AET) was compared to measurements at point scale and good agreement was obtained both on an event basis and seasonally. Although the spatial model simulations cannot be evaluated quantitatively a comparison between spatial outputs of AET from both model setups was carried out. This revealed substantial differences in the spatial patterns of AET for the examined subcatchment, in spite of similar values of predicted discharge and average AET. The potential for driving large scale hydrological models using remote sensing data was clearly demonstrated and further emphasized by the presence of long time records and near real time accessibility of the satellite data sources.

Hydrological Observations in Montane Rain Forests on Gunung Silam, Sabah, Malaysia, with Special Reference to the `Massenerhebung' Effect

Mount Silam is a coastal mountain in Sabah, Malaysia, showing a telescoping of vegetation zones and stunting of the montane forest near its summit (884 m a.s.l.). The causes of the stunting were investigated. Hydrological observations were made in the forest at 680 m a.s.l. (just below the cloud cap; trees up to 32 m) and at 870 m (within the clouds; trees up to 15 m). At 870 m, rainfall was c. 25% above that at sealevel; radiation was 21% and 33% below values observed at 680 m and at sealevel, whereas Penman open-water evaporation E o was reduced by 19% and 31%, respectively. Short-term water balance calculations suggested average actual evapotranspiration rates (mm day −1 ) of 1-9 (870m) and 2-5 (680 m; 2.0 during a dry spell of 2 weeks) and and average transpiration (E t ) rates of 0.85 (870 m) and 2.1 (680 m; 1.7 during dry spell) (...)

Evapotranspiration from the margin and moist playa of a closed desert valley

Two long term microclimate measurement stations with Bowen ratio capability have been used to study water cycling in a closed desert basin. Microclimate variables including the temperature and vapor pressure gradients were monitored continuously and were used to estimate the Bowen ratio, sensible and latent heat fluxes during 1986 and 1987. Despite having a water table that varied between the surface and 30 cm below the surface, the playa had little evaporation except after rainfall events. The very high osmotic pressure of the soil and salt crust caused most of the absorbed radiation to be partitioned to sensible heat. In contrast, along the margin the thin grass and brush cover transpired water freely, with the latent heat flux exceeding 60% of available energy for much of the season. The higher air temperatures above the playa raised potential evapotranspiration ( ET) significantly higher than along the margin throughout the summer. The annual average actual ET of the playa was only 36% of the margin. During the drier summer period (May–October), this ratio decreased to < 28%. Immediately after a rainfall event, evaporation rates of the two sites were similar, but the playa rate was quickly reduced as the osmotic potential increased. During this study, the playa lost < 229 mm of subsurface water to evaporation annually, while > 638 mm were lost from the margin groundwater supply. The 24-h solar and net radiation correlations were 0.80 and 0.94 for the playa and margin, respectively. The lower correlation for the playa resulted from the wide variation of albedo with surface moisture changes. The annual average albedo values for the playa and margin were 0.64 and 0.46, respectively.

Water balance and pattern of root water uptake by a Quercus coccifera L. evergreen srub.

The water balance of a Quercus coccifera evergreen scrub was studied over 7 consecutive years. This scrub grows on hard limestone. Soil water content was measured with a neutron meter. Calibration curves were calculated from (1) the thermal neutron macroscopic cross-sections of soil (<2-mm fraction) and rock samples, and (2) the profile of wet bulk density measured with a subsurface gamma-ray gauge. The annual and seasonal patterns of actual evapotranspiration and of deep drainage were calculated using field-measured drainage characteristics. The soil water content data were used to compute water uptake rates and pattern for the root zone over a 4-month drying period. The 906 mm of mean annual precipitation yielded 603 mm of actual evapotranspiration (AET) and 296 mm of drainage. No drainage occured with precipitation less than 578 mm. The average AET values for the months from April to September were 57, 74, 89, 96, 70, and 42 mm respectively. It was found that Quercus coccifera consumed considerable quantities of water from the soil-rock complex. Roots could extract 270 mm of water in the first 470 cm of soil. The results showed a gradual downward shift of the zone of maximum root water uptake as the soil dried.

EFFECTS OF SOIL WATER MOVEMENT ON ACTUAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION ESTIMATED FROM THE SOIL MOISTURE BUDGET

Actual evapotranspiration was estimated from the soil moisture budget for a grass-covered sandy loam soil at Simcoe, Ontario. Soil moisture was measured at 25 sites distributed over a 6-meter-square grid. The coefficient of variation for actual evapotranspiration estimated at all sites averaged 13% and rose as high as 19%. Average actual evapotranspiration exceeded both the Penman and Thornthwaite estimates of potential evapotranspiration for three of the six measuring intervals, due to deep seepage losses. The application of corrections for the vertical water movement, determined from experimentally derived matric suction and hydraulic conductivity data, gave a substantial deep seepage loss for some periods and a capillary uptake of soil water for others. Vertical losses and gains created errors of up to + 28 and − 29%, respectively, in the standard estimates of actual evapotranspiration. The large spatial variations in evapotranspiration estimates resulted from variations in volumetric soil moisture between sample points, apparently creating differences in the magnitude and direction of vertical water movement across the terminal depth. The horizontal flux of water between measuring points was relatively unimportant in accounting for the spatial variations.

Pan Evaporation, Potential and Actual Evapotranspiration

Abstract A formula for estimating the evapotranspiration rate from temperature and relative humidity data is given. Results of some tests of the accuracy of the equation indicate that it is better than other equations based on a similar number of variables. The accuracy was not as good as equations requiring more variables for their utilization, however. It was found from an investigation of the amount of water required for crop production that average yields of corn, soybeans and wheat were obtained when the total precipitation during the growing season averaged 72% of the maximum evapotranspiration. This average actual evapotranspiration rate may be more appropriate than potential evapotranspiration for some general purposes such as assessing the water resources of undeveloped countries, or determining the aridity indices in climatic studies.