Evapotranspiration (ET)

Spatio-temporal scales of ET estimates Evapotranspiration (ET) measures water loss to atmosphere through soil evaporation and plant transpiration, and is a major component of both the land surface hydrologic cycle and the surface energy balance. Our recent proof-of-concept study has shown that multiscale ground-based data can be used to calibrate and adapt ET estimation models, e.g. the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model. Adapted models can subsequently use input from moderate resolution satellite images (~60 m to 1 km spatial resolution) to generate maps quantifying the magnitude and spatio-temporal variability of ET over large areas.

For this project I am mentoring a graduate student helping him in SAR data interpretation and integration for improved vegetation characterization. I am also developing customized software for ET retrievals in image mode.