Lecture No.

4 1
Evapotranspiration
Dr. Mahesh Kumar Jat

Lecture No. 4 2
Evaporation
E
E
E
E
P
Standing Water
Soil Moisture
Moisture on Plants
Rain
Lecture No. 4 3
Evaporation
Process by which the phase of water is changed
from liquid to a vapor.

It occurs at the evaporating surface, the contact
between water body and overlaying air.
Lecture No. 4 4
Evaporation
Evaporation rate is a function of several
meteorological and environmental factors
The two main factors from an engineering
standpoint are:

Solar energy: it provides latent heat of vapor

Advective energy: it is the ability to transport
Lecture No. 4 5
Evaporation Measures
Pan evaporation
Water budget
Correlations to climate data (empirical)
Weight and depth
E
E
E
E
Lecture No. 4 6
Standard 4 foot diameter pan
Lecture No. 4 7

Pan evaporation method
An evaporation pan is a device designed
to measure evaporation by monitoring the
loss of water in the pan during a given time
period, usually one (1) day.
Pan coefficient = 0.60 to 0.85 on an annual basis
L c p
E p E = (4.1)
Evaporation
Lecture No. 4 8
Problem for Practice A river regulatory person must release
water from a reservoir to satisfy a downstream need during the
month of July. The average daily class A pan evaporation is 5
mm and the pan coefficient is 0.70. Estimate how much water
must be released from the reservoir to satisfy 48,000 m
3
/day
need if the average river width is 61 m and the distance down
the center of the river from the reservoir to the point of need is
78 km. Express your answer in terms of both m
3
and acre-ft.
Neglect or assume that the net infiltration into and out of the
river from groundwater sources is negligible and there is no
transpiration.
Input from reservoir to the river = S
I
= to be sought
Output from the river release = R = 48,000 m
3
/day
Output from river evaporation = E = can be calculated
Assume AS = 0

Lecture No. 4 9
0.7(5 / ) 3.5 / 0.0035 /
L c p
E p E mm day mm day m day = = = =
0
I I
S S E R S E R A = = = +
Evaporation rate from the river
Evaporation from the river
6 2
61 78 4.758 10 SA m km m = =
Surface area of the river
6 2
3 3
0.0035 / (4.758 10 )
16.7 10 /
L
E E SA m day m
m day
= =
=

Total amount needed
3 3 3 3
3 3
16.7 10 / 48 10 /
64.7 10 / 52.45 /
I
S E R m day m day
m day ac ft day
= + = +
= =
Lecture No. 4 10
Water Budget Method
Evaporation
F
E
R
AS=?
S
I
S
O
P
Initial Abstract I
A
B
I
B
O
O
E
T
E
E
Flow
direction
River Network
Lakes/
Reservoirs
Lakes/
Reservoirs
S
O
S
I
Lecture No. 4 11
1. Precipitation (P)
2. Initial Abstraction (I
A
)
3. Infiltration (F)
4. Rainfall Excess (R)
5. Surface water inflow (S
I
)
6. Surface water outflow (S
O
)
7. Groundwater inflow (B
I
)
8. Groundwater outflow (B
O
)
9. Evaporation (E)
10. Transpiration (T)
11. Surface water release (O)
Hydrologic Processes in a Watershed
Lecture No. 4 12
S P S B R B S O E
o o
I I
A = + + +
E P S B R B S O S
o o
I I
= + + + A
(4.2)
(4.3)
Evaporation from Water Surface
Water Budget Method over Surface Water Bodies
E
R
AS=?
S
I
S
O
P
B
I
B
O
O
Lecture No. 4 13
A
S P I F R ET A =
Evaporation from Overland Surface
Water Budget Method over Land Surfaces
R
P
Initial Abstraction, I
A
F
E
E
T
Lecture No. 4 14
Problem for Problems Estimate the mean monthly
evaporation rate for the OHare International Airport
watershed. Local climatological data supplied by NOAA for the
airport are shown for the months in year 1974. The water
leaving the watershed is estimated from a USGS Geological
Survey gage station and is also shown. Comment on your
answers by explaining why the results are low relative to the
annual average values, what assumptions you have made?
Assume storage are minimal and no transpiration or
infiltration.
Lecture No. 4 15
Month Precipitation (in) Outlet Water (in)
March
2.40 1.42
April
4.27 3.05
May
5.09 3.60
June
4.69 3.50
July
2.96 1.65
A
S P I F R ET A =
Data
Lecture No. 4 16
0 0 0 P R E =
Month P-R (in) E (in)
March 2.4-1.42 0.98
April 4.27-3.05 1.22
May 5.09-3.60 1.49
June 4.69-3.50 1.19
July 2.96-1.65 1.31
Average 1.24
Adopt E = 76 cm/year = 2.49 in./month
E based on data is lower: precipitation for these five
months is less than annual average or outlet flow is too
much because impervious natural of the watershed.
Lecture No. 4 17

Correlations to Climate Data
General Empirical Formula
( , ) E f e U = A
Evaporation

General Theoretical Formula
(4.4)
Theoretical study of evaporation from large water bodies
based on (1) solar energy and (2) advective energy was
made in the Ph.D. Dissertation by G. T. Yeh, 1969.
Lecture No. 4 18

Empirical Formula for Lake Hefner
8 8
0.00241( )
L o a
E e e U =
1. E
L
= evaporation rate in inches per day
2. e
o
= saturation vapor pressure at the water
surface in inches of mercury
3. e
o8
= vapor pressure in air over the lake at
an elevation of 8 m, in inches of mercury
4. U
8
= wind speed over the lake at an
elevation of 8 m, in miles per day
As an engineer, you have to find an empirical formula
for surface waters in your area of interest
(4.5)
Lecture No. 4 19

Empirical Formula for Class A pan
( ) ( )
n
p o a
E e e m bU = +
1. E
p
= daily pan evaporation, (in./day)
2. e
o
= saturation vapor pressure at the water
surface, (in. of mercury)
3. e
o
= atmospheric vapor pressure at air
temperature, (in. of mercury)
4. U = wind speed at 6 inches above pan rim,
(mpd)
5. n, m, and b = 0.88, 0.37, 0.0041, respectively.
(4.6)
Note: saturated vapor pressure is a function of
temperature given in Table 3, Appendix B.
Lecture No. 4 20
Problem for Problems
This is one of your homework
Hint: Use available Table 3 to find out the
vapor pressures!!
Lecture No. 4 21
Transpiration
F
E
R
AS=?
S
I
S
O
P
Initial Abstraction, I
A
B
I
B
O
B
O
E
T
O
Lecture No. 4 22
Transpiration
Transpiration is the process by which plants
transfer water from the root zone to the leaf
surface, where it eventually evaporates into
atmosphere.
Lecture No. 4 23
The process by which transpiration takes
place can be described as follows:
Water is extracted by a plants roots,
transported upward through its stem and
diffused into the atmosphere through stoma.
Transpiration
Lecture No. 4 24
Contributing factors:
a. Moisture available
b. Vegetation type
c. Vegetation density
d. Vegetation health
Transpiration
Lecture No. 4 25
Transpiration
Measured with phytometer (plant used as
a measuring device)
Based on monthly consumptive use (if
available) and monthly evaporation
1. T = transpiration rate (mm/time)
2. ET = evapotransipiration rate (mm/time)
3. E = Evaporation rate (mm/time)
T ET E =
(4.7)
Lecture No. 4 26
Evapotranspiration
It is the process by which water in the land
surface, soil, and vegetation is converted
into vapor state and returned to the
atmosphere.
It consists of evaporation from water, soil,
vegetative, and other surfaces and includes
transpiration by vegetation.
Lecture No. 4 27
F
R
P
E
T
E
E
Watershed Evapotranspiration
E
E
Lecture No. 4 28
Evapotranspiration
Mass balance
S P R F ET A =
p
ET kE =
k = 0.35 to 0.85 = f(soil/plant condition, location of the
pan, wind speed, upwind fetch, and humidity)
Based on Pan Evaporation
For example, k = 0.7 if wind speed = 170-425 km/day,
upwind fetch of green crop = 1,000 m, and low relative
humidity = 20-40 percent.
For a well-watered grass, the function is given in Table
4.8 on page 128 for two cases: in one case the pan is
surrounded by green crop and in the other the pan is
surrounded by dry-surface ground.
Lecture No. 4 29
Example for practice Assume the following situations for a
small watershed in northern Indiana. The six-month seasonal
precipitation is 70 cm, runoff is 20 cm, and the change in
groundwater storage is 15 cm. What are the monthly
evapotransipiration rates?
S P R ET A =
15 70 20 ET =
70 20 15 35 /6
5.83 /
ET cm month
cm month
= =
=
Lecture No. 4 30
Evapotranspiration
Irrigation needs based on evapotranspiration
S P I R F ET A = +
I ET P =
Known
Known
0
0
0
Lecture No. 4 31
Evapotranspiration
Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) is the
amount of evapotranspiration that would
take place under the assumption of an ample
supply of moisture at all times.
PET is an indication of optimum crop water
requirements.
Lecture No. 4 32
Calculation of Potential
Evapotranspiration

1. Assume unlimited moisture supply

Thornwaites Equation

Blaney and Criddle Equation
Lecture No. 4 33
Thornthwaites Equation
10
1.6
a
t
ET
TE
| |
=
|
\ .
1. ET = Monthly evapotranspiration, (cm)
2. t = mean monthly temperature, (
o
C)
3. a = 0.49239 + 0.01792 TE
4. TE = Thornthwaites temperature efficiency
index, which is given by
( )
1.514
12
1
/ 5
i
i
TE t
=
=

Evapotranspiration
(4.8)
Lecture No. 4 34
Blaney and Criddle
/100 ET kpt =
1. ET = Monthly evapotranspiration, (in.)
2. t = mean monthly temperature, (
o
F)
3. k = consumptive use coefficient
4. p = percent of daytime hours per year in the
study month
k = f(crop) are given for different crops e.g., k
= 0.7 for tomato
p = f(latitude and month) given in Tables and
depends upon location, e.g., p = 8.08 at North
60
o
in March
Evapotranspiration
(4.9)
Lecture No. 4 35
Problem for Problems A conversion of land from tomato
farming to citrus is planned. Is it true that less water will be
used to supplement rainfall based on a growing season of one
year? Explain and support your answers with calculations and
referenced assumptions.
From Eq. (4.9)

/100 ET kpt =
For tomatoes

0.7 (4 )
tomatoes
k months =
0.5 0.65 (7 )
citrus
k months =
Assume frost free zone in Florida 25
o
N, from Tables

100 p =
Mean annual temperature in Florida

65
o
t F =
Lecture No. 4 36
From Eq. (4.9)

/100 ET kpt =
0.7 (4 )
tomatoes
k months =
0.5 0.65 (7 )
citrus
k months =
Citrus requires less water than tomatoes based on annual growing season of one year

4(42.79 ) /12 14.25 .
tomatoes
ET in in = =
7(39.74 ) /12 23.18 .
citrus
ET in in = =
Tomatoes requires less water than citrus based on real growing seasons
42.79 .
tomatoes
ET from next slide in = =
39.74 .
citrus
ET from next slide in = =
Lecture No. 4 37
Example
9 of Hand
Problems

March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Temp
63.00 65.00 74.00 79.00 81.00 81.00 78.00 69.00 66.00 55.00
Daytime%
8.39 8.61 9.33 9.23 9.45 9.09 8.32 8.09 7.40 7.42
k
tomoto

0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.70
k
citrus

0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65


ET
tomoto

3.70 3.92 4.83 5.10 5.36 5.15 4.54 3.91 3.42 2.86 42.79
ET
Citrus

3.44 3.64 4.49 4.74 4.98 4.79 4.22 3.63 3.17 2.65 39.74
Monthly ET for Tomatoes and Citrus based on Florida Monthly Temperature

/100 ET kpt =