Mapping evapotranspiration and water balance for global land surfaces

✍ Scribed by R. Tateishi; C.H. Ahn

• Book ID: 103957215
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 873 KB
• Volume: 51
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0924-2716
• DOI: 10.1016/0924-2716(96)00015-9

✦ Synopsis

Evapotranspiration returns approximately 60-80% of precipitation back to the atmosphere, where it becomes the source of future precipitation. Any variations in the distribution and availability of surface water will affect human activities and undoubtedly result in some socio-economic adjustments. New water demands for irrigation, as well as non-agricultural purposes, are growing with increased population and industrialization. It is reasonable to conclude that our knowledge of broad-scale evapotranspiration patterns is incomplete and that improved data sets are needed. Therefore, in this study, monthly global data sets of evapotranspiration and water balance were produced using a simplified water balance model and published global data sets. For validation of the global data sets, results were compared with information obtained by previous investigations that used independent data and analytical approaches.