EVAPOTRANSPIRATION is the sum of evaporation and
plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to
atmosphere. Also the important part in water cycle.
Evapotranspirator – an element that contributes to
evapotranspiration .
Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the
air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception,
and water bodies, also a type of vaporization of a liquid
that occurs only on the surface of a liquid.
Transpiration accounts for the movement of water
within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as
vapor through stomata in its leaves.
Factors influencing the rate of evaporation
 Concentration of the substance evaporating in
the air
If the air already has a high concentration of the
substance evaporating, then the given substance will
evaporate more slowly.
 Concentration of other substances in the air
If the air is already saturated with other substances, it
can have a lower capacity for the substance
evaporating.
 Flow rate of air
If fresh air is moving over the substance all the time,
then the concentration of the substance in the air is less
likely to go up with time, thus encouraging faster
evaporation. This is the result of the boundary layer at
the evaporation surface decreasing with flow velocity,
decreasing the diffusion distance in the stagnant layer.
 Inter-molecular forces
The stronger the forces keeping the molecules together
in the liquid state, the more energy one must get to
escape. This is characterized by the enthalpy of
vaporization.
 Pressure
Evaporation happens faster if there is less exertion
on the surface keeping the molecules from launching
themselves.
 Surface area
A substance that has a larger surface area will
evaporate faster, as there are more surface molecules
that are able to escape.
 Temperature of the substance
If the substance is hotter, then its molecules have a
higher average kinetic energy, and evaporation will be
faster.
 Density
The higher the density the slower a liquid
evaporates.
Atmospheric factors affecting transpiration
 Temperature: Transpiration rates go up as the
temperature goes up, especially during the
growing season, when the air is warmer due to
stronger sunlight and warmer air masses.
Higher temperatures cause the plant cells which
control the openings (stoma) where water is
released to the atmosphere to open, whereas
colder temperatures cause the openings to
close.
 Relative humidity: As the relative humidity of
the air surrounding the plant rises the
transpiration rate falls. It is easier for water to
evaporate into dryer air than into more
saturated air.
 Wind and air movement: Increased movement
of the air around a plant will result in a higher
transpiration rate. This is somewhat related to
the relative humidity of the air, in that as water
transpires from a leaf, the water saturates the
air surrounding the leaf. If there is no wind, the
air around the leaf may not move very much,
raising the humidity of the air around the leaf.
Wind will move the air around, with the result
that the more saturated air close to the leaf is
replaced by drier air.
 Soil-moisture availability: When moisture is
lacking, plants can begin to senesce (premature
ageing, which can result in leaf loss) and
transpire less water.
  Type of plant: Plants transpire water at Evaporation rate is determined by a sequence of
different rates. Some plants which grow in arid measurements over a set time interval.
regions, such as cacti and succulents, conserve LYSIMETER
precious water by transpiring less water than is a measuring device
other plants. which can be used to
measure the amount
Potential evapotranspiration (PET) of actual
a representation of the environmental demand for evapotranspiration
evapotranspiration and represents the which is released by
evapotranspiration rate of a short green crop, plants, usually crops
completely shading the ground, of uniform height and or trees. By recording the amount of precipitation that
with adequate water status in the soil profile. A an area receives and the amount lost through the soil,
reflection of the energy available to evaporate water, the amount of water lost to evapotranspiration can be
and of the wind available to transport the water vapour calculated. Lysimeters are of two types: Weighing and
from the ground up into the lower atmosphere. non-weighing.
Pan evaporation is
Evapotranspiration can never be greater than PET, but a measurement
can be lower if there is not enough water to be that combines or
evaporated or plants are unable to transpire readily. integrates the
effects of several
Average annual PET is often compared to average
climate elements:
annual precipitation, P. The ratio of the two, P/PET, is
temperature,
the aridity index.
humidity, rain fall,
drought dispersion,
solar radiation, and wind. Evaporation is greatest on
hot, windy, dry, sunny days; and is greatly reduced
when clouds block the sun and when air is cool, calm,
and humid. Pan evaporation measurements enable
farmers and ranchers to understand how much water
their crops will need.

The atmometer or evaporimeter

Hook gauge evaporimeter
a scientific instrument used for measuring the rate of
a precision instrument used to measure changes in evaporation from a wet surface to the atmosphere.
water levels due to evaporation. The device consists of
a sharp hook suspended from a micrometer cylinder,
with the body of the device having arms which rest on
the rim of a still well. The still well serves to isolate the
device from any ripples that might be present in the
sample being measured, while allowing the water level
to equalize. The measurement is taken by turning the
knob to lower the hook through the surface of the
water until capillary action causes a small depression to
form around the tip of the hook. The knob is then
turned slowly until the depression "pops," with the
measurement showing on the micrometer scale.
1. Basic Hydrology Concept
1.1. Introduction
Water is vital for all living organisms on Earth.
For centuries, people have been investigating where
water comes from and where it goes, why some of it is
salty and some is fresh, why sometimes there is not
enough and sometimes too much. All questions and
answers related to water have been grouped together
into a discipline.
The name of the discipline is hydrology and is formed by
two Greek words: "hydro" and "logos" meaning "water"
and "science".
• Evaporation from water bodies
What is Hydrology?
• Water vapour moves upwards
-It is a science of water.
• Cloud formation
-It is the science that deals with the occurrence,
• Condensation
circulation and distribution of water of the earth and
• Precipitate
earth’s atmosphere.
• Interception
A good understanding of the hydrologic
• Transpiration
processes is important for the assessment of the water
• Infiltration
resources, their management and conservation on
• Runoff–streamflow
global and regional scales.
• Deep percolation
1.2 Hydrologic Cycle
• Ground water flow
Water exists on the earth in all its three states, viz.
1.3 World Water Budget
liquid, solid, gaseous and in various degrees of motion.
Total quantity of water in the world is estimated as
1386 M km3
- 1337.5 M km3 of water is contained in oceans
as saline water
- The rest 48.5 M km3 is land water
• 13.8 M km3 is again saline
• 34.7 M km3 is fresh water
– 10.6 M km3 is both
liquid and fresh
– 24.1 M km3 is a frozen
ice and glaciers in the
polar regions and
Water, irrespective of different states, involves dynamic
mountain tops
aspect in nature.
The dynamic nature of water, the existence of water in Estimated World Water Quantitites
various state with different hydrological process result 96%

in a very important natural phenomenon called

Hydrologic cycle.
• Evaporation of water from water bodies, such
as oceans and lakes, formation and movement
of clouds, rain and snowfall, stream flow and 2% 1% Ocean-saline
ground water movement are some examples of 1% Land - saline
Fresh - Liquid
the dynamic aspects of water. Fresh - Frozen
FORMS OF PRECIPITATION
 RAINFALL MEASUREMENT
Types of rain gauges

TYPES OF PRECIPITATION