VISHAL K.

MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
ESTIMATIN$ EVA%&T'ANS%I'ATI&N ('&M )EATHE' *ATA !
INT'&*UCTI&N !
STE% + CALCULATE %&TENTIAL E,T'ATE''EST'IAL 'A*IATI&N -
1.1 Calculate Day of Year (J) 4
1.2 Calculate declination () 4
1.3 Convert Latitude to radians () 4
1.4 Estiate !otential e"traterrestrial radiation (#a) 4
STE% ! ESTIMATE 'E(E'ENCE C'&% EVA%&T'ANS%I'ATI&N .ET
&
/ 0
STE% 3 ESTIMATE NET 'A*IATI&N .'
NET
/ 0
3.1 Estiate do$n$ard solar (s%ort $ave) radiation (#s) &
3.2 Estiate atos!%eric eissivity ('a) &
3.3 Estiate net lon( $ave radiation (#L) &
3.4 Estiate net radiation (#net) &
STE% - ESTIMATE $'&UN* HEAT (LU, .$/ #
STE% 0 ESTIMATE %&TENTIAL EVA%&T'ANS%I'ATI&N .%ET/ #
&.1 Estiate
1
]
1

)
&.2 Estiate *E+ )
E,AM%LE CALCULATI&N 1
A%%EN*I,2 EVA%&T'ANS%I'ATI&N E3UATI&NS 4
'E(E'ENCES 5
- 1 -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
Estimating Eva6otrans6iration 7rom 8eather 9ata
INT'&*UCTI&N
Take for example the following simplified soil-water balance equation, based on
Thorntwaite and Mather (Thorntwaite et al, 1955195!"#
$q 1 P = ET + RO + dS + D; where d% is the change in soil moisture o&er the time
step#
'f these, rainfall and runoff (as stream flow" are directl( measured, )owe&er to close the water
balance, either drainage (or groundwater recharge" or $&apotranspiration ($T" also need to be
estimated*measured# +oth of these are non-tri&ial#
$T is one of the most challenging of water balance components to estimate, or directl(
measure# ,n the past decade, sophisticated edd(-flux towers are being set up across the globe
to directl( measure $T, but none exist in ,ndia as of now# ,n ,ndia, direct e&apotranspiration
estimates are few and ha&e been restricted to plantations (see for example, %ikka et al, -../
0allarackal et al,199!"#
The aim of this document is to pro&ide a condensed set of equations*procedures to estimate
two measures of $&apotranspiration ($T" from weather data#
- - -
1ainfall 1ainfall (P) (P)
$&apotranspiration $&apotranspiration
(ET) (ET)
1unoff 1unoff (RO) (RO)
%oil Moisture %oil Moisture (S (S" "
2rainage 2rainage (D) (D)
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
(a" 3otential e&apotranspiration (3$T" - using the 3riestle(-Ta(lor method# This can be
used in non-agricultural and forested areas to deri&e actual e&apotranspiration and in
water balance calculations (3riestle( et al#, 19!-" and
(b" the reference crop $T ($T
o
", using the )argrea&es method ()argrea&es et al# -../", which
can then be used for estimating $T from culti&ated areas#
1eaders are encouraged to refer to the 45'-56 manual (5llen et al#, 1997", which is online8
http8**www#fao#org*docrep*9.:9.$*x.:9.e..#htm", and from which much of this material is
drawn#
5ll the equations gi&en here use the climate &ariables in the units as in Table 1 below#
T5+;$ 1 2ata &ariables and their units
<ariable
(as in this document"
=ame >nits
(as used in equations"
Tmax Maximum temperature ,nteger, (?@"
Tmin Minimum temperature ,nteger, (?@"
Tmean 5&erage temperature ,nteger, (?@"
@loud @loud co&er ,nteger, (A "
='T$8
1# This document assumes a monthl( time step# )ence estimates will be dail( a&erage
$T for the month (in mm*da(", which the reader can multipl( b( the no# of da(s in the
month to get $T in mm*month#
-# $stimates of 3$T or $T
o
begin with a radiation energ( balance# The basics of the
energ( balance are well-described in 5llen et al# (1997,
http8**www#fao#org*docrep*9.:9.$*x.:9.e..#htm"
/# These estimates are ='T actual $T estimates# 1ather the( are needed to estimate
5ctual $&apotranspiration, t(picall( through water balance modeling# 4urther, for
culti&ated regions, $T
o
is con&erted to actual crop e&apotranspiration using crop and
crop-growth specific crop coefficients# %ee 5llen et al# (1997,
http8**www#fao#org*docrep*9.:9.$*x.:9.e..#htm" for details#
- / -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
STE% + Cal:;late %otential E<traterrestrial 'a9iation
1.1 Calculate Day of Year (J)
Table - @alculation of 2a( of Bear
Month C
Can 15
4eb :5
Mar !5
5pr 1.5
Ma( 1/5
Cune 165
Cul( 195
5ug --5
'ct -55
=o& /15
2ec /:5
1.2 Calculate decliatio (!)
$q# 1#1
( )
,
_

80
365
2
sin 4102 . 0 J

Dhere declination is in radians

1." Co#ert $atitude to radia% (&)
$q# 1#-
,
_

180
*

latitude
Dhere latitude is in decimal degrees (e#g# 1-#:5" as on the portal
1.' E%ti(ate )otetial e*traterre%trial radiatio (R
a
)
$q# 1#/
( ) ( ) [ ] { }

tan tan cos sin cos cos sin sin tan tan cos
118
1 1
+

a
R

Dhere 1
a
is in MC m
--
da(
-1
- : -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
STE% ! Estimate 'e7eren:e Cro6 Eva6otrans6iration .ET
o
/
>se the )argrea&es method, which has been shown to work well in di&erse climates
around the world#
$q# -#1 $T
o
E .#:.7 F .#..-/ F 1
a
F (T
mean
G 1!#7" F sqrtH (T
max
- T
min
" I
Dhere $T
o
is in mm*da(, 1
a
is in MC m
--
da(
-1
=ote 8 ,f T
mean
J ., set $T
o
E .
STE% 3 Estimate Net 'a9iation .'
net
/
".1 E%ti(ate do++ard %olar (%,ort +a#e) radiatio (R
%
)
This is the )argrea&es radiation formula#
$q# /#1 1
s
E .#16 F 1
a
F sqrtH (Tmax - Tmin" I
Dhere 1
s
and 1
a
are in MC m
--
da(
-1
".2 E%ti(ate at(o%),eric e(i%%i#ity (-
a
)
The original equation has been modified below to suit the units of the database
$q# /#-
( ) ( ) Cloud Cloud T
mean a
0084 . 0 0084 . 0 1 005 . 0 72 . 0 + +
"." E%ti(ate et lo. +a#e radiatio (R
$
)
The original equation has been modified below to suit the units of the database#
5ssumed terrestrial emissi&it( E .#9!
$q# /#/ 1
;
E (:#9./F1.
-9
" F (K
a
- .#9!" F H T
mean
G-!/ I
:
Dhere 1
;
is in MC m
--
da(
-1
".' E%ti(ate et radiatio (R
et
)
$q# /#: 1
net
E (.#!! F 1
s
" - 1
;
Dhere 1
;
, 1
net
, 1
;
are in MC m
--
da(
-1
- 5 -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
STE% - Estimate $ro;n9 heat 7l;< .$/
$q# :#1 L
month
E .#.! F (T
mean, monthG1
- T
mean, monthG1
"
Dhere T
mean, monthG1
is a&erage temperature for next month
T
mean, month-1
is a&erage temperature for pre&ious month
STE% 0 Estimate %otential Eva6otrans6iration .%ET/
/.1 E%ti(ate
1
]
1

$q# 5#1
1
]
1

E ( -.#....7 F T
mean
-
" G (.#.1/9 F T
mean
" G .#:-/5
/.2 E%ti(ate PET
This equation uses the 3riestle(-Ta(lor method,
The original equation has been modified below to suit the units of the database
$q# 5#- 3$T E .#:.7 F 1#-6 F
1
]
1

F (1
net
- L"
Dhere 3$T is in mm*da(
Note 2 I7 T
mean
= " set %ET > "
- 6 -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
E,AM%LE CALCULATI&N
This example will illustrate the abo&e equations#
Dorked example follows8
Li&en8 the geograghic location (;at*;ong", and time (month or da("#
0nown8 T
mean
, T
max
, T
min
, and @loud for the selected point and time#
5ssume chosen ;atitude (in decimal degrees" 8 1-#5-5?
5ssume @hosen monthM 8 Ma(
5ssume T
max
for chosen locaton is 8 /7 (?@"
5ssume T
min
for chosen locaton is 8 -7 (?@"
5ssume T
mean
for chosen locaton is 8 /5 (?@"
5ssume @loud for chosen locaton is 8 1. (A"
%tep 1#1 2a( of (ear, C E 1/5 (from Table 2)
%tep 1#- 2eclination, E .#//-79 radians (Eq. 1.1)
%tep 1#/ ;atitude, N E .#-176. radians (Eq. 1.2)
%tep 1#: 3otential extraterrestrial radiation, 1
a
E /7#9/!15 MC m
--
da(
-1
(Eq. 1.3)
%tep - 1eference crop e&apotranspiration, $T
o
E 6#1 mm*da( (Eq 2.1)
%tep /#1 2ownward solar radiation, 1s E 19#! MC m
--
da(
-1
(Eq 3.1)
%tep /#- 5tmospheric emissi&it(, K
a
E .#9./7 (Eq 3.2)
%tep /#/ =et long wa&e radiation, 1
;
E --#9- MC m
--
da(
-1
(Eq 3.3)
%tep /#: =et 1adiation, 1
=$T
E 17#.79 MC m
--
da(
-1
(Eq 3.4)
%tep : Lround )eat 4lux, L (must calculate earlier" E .#.! MC m
--
da(
-1
(Eq 4)
%tep 5#1
1
]
1

E .#71- (Eq 5.1)

%tep 5#- 3otential $&apotranspiration, 3$T E !#5-- mm*da( (Eq 5.2)
- ! -

VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
A%%EN*I,2 Eva6otrans6iration e?;ations
+. %otential Eva6otrans6iration .%ET/ .%riestley@Taylor estimate/
) (
G) - (R
1.26 PET
n
+

!. 'e7eren:e Cro6 Eva6otrans6iration .ET

o
/ .Hargreaves metho9/
) ( 1.26 ETo G R
net

1
]
1

Dhen wind speed and humidit( data are a&ailable, use the 45'-56 equation below,
recommended as the standard method b( 5llen et al# (1997"#
Dhere8
3$T 3riestle(-Ta(lor estimate of potential e&apotranspiration
$T
o
reference e&apotranspiration Hmm da(
-1
I,
1
net
net radiation at the crop surface HMC m
--
da(
-1
I,
L soil heat flux densit( HMC m
--
da(
-1
I,
T mean dail( air temperature at - m height H?@I,
u
-
wind speed at - m height Hm s
-1
I,
e
s
saturation &apour pressure Hk3aI,
e
a
actual &apour pressure Hk3aI,
e
s
- e
a
saturation &apour pressure deficit Hk3aI,
O slope &apour pressure cur&e Hk3a ?@
-1
I,

ps(chrometric constant Hk3a ?@

-1
I#
- 7 -
VISHAL K. MEHTA
Arghyam/Cornell University
Nov 3 !""#
'e7eren:es
5llen, 1# L#, 3ereira, ;#%#, 1aes, 2#, %mith, M# (1997"# P@rop e&apotranspiration8 Luidelines for
computing crop water requirementsP 45' ,rrigation and drainage paper 56, 1ome, ,tal(#
Thorntwaite, @# D#, C# 1# Mather (1955"# PThe water balance#P 3ubl# @limatol# 4(1"#
Thorntwaite, @# D#, C# 1# Mather (195!"# P,nstructions and tables for computing potential
e&apotranspiration and the water balance#P 3ubl# @limatol# +"(/"#
3riestle(, @#)#+# Ta(lor, 1# C# (19!-"# P'n the assessment of surface heat flux and e&aporation
using large scale parameterP Mon. Weath. Rev. 1..8 71-9-
%ikka, 5# 0#, C# %# %amra, <# =# %harda, 3# %amraQ, <# ;akshmanan (-../"# P;ow flow and high
flow responses to con&erting natural grassland into bluegum ($ucal(ptus globulus " in =ilgiris
watersheds of %outh ,ndia#P !o"rnal of #$%rolo&$ -!.8 1---6#
0allarackal, C#, @# 0# %omen (199!"# PDater use b( E"'al$(t") teret*'orn*) stands of differing
densit( in southern ,ndia#P Tree Ph$)*olo&$ 1!8 195--./#
)argrea&es, L#)#, 5llen, 1#L# (-../"# P)istor( and $&aluation of )argrea&es
$&apotranspiration $quation#P !o"rnal of +rr*&at*on an% Dra*na&e En&*neer*n& 1-985/-6/#
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