Evaporation

Slides prepared by Daene C. McKinney

Reading: Applied Hydrology Sections 4.1
and 4.2
Quotation for today (from Socrates) "There
is only one good, that is knowledge; there
is only one evil, that is ignorance."
Contributed by Matt Harold.
 Evaporation
Terminology
Evaporation process by which liquid
water passes directly to the vapor phase
Transpiration - process by which liquid
water passes from liquid to vapor through
plant metabolism
Sublimation - process by which water
passes directly from the solid phase to the
vapor phase
Factors Influencing Evaporation
Energy supply for Rn Net radiation
vaporization (latent heat)
Solar radiation
Transport of vapor away from u Air Flow
evaporative surface E Evaporation
Wind velocity over surface
Specific humidity gradient
above surface
Vegetated surfaces
Supply of moisture to the
surface
Evapotranspiration (ET)
Potential Evapotranspiration
(PET) moisture supply is not
limited
 Evaporation from a Water
Surface
Simplest form of evaporation
From free liquid of permanently saturated
surface
 Evaporation from a Pan
Sensible
Net radiation Vapor flow rate
heat to air
Hs Rn v w AE
m

National Weather Service Class A CS

w
dh
type E h
dt
Installed on a wooden platform in a
grassy location Area, A
Filled with water to within 2.5 inches
of the top
G
Evaporation rate is measured by Heat conducted
manual readings or with an analog to ground
output evaporation gauge
Methods of Estimating Evaporation
Energy Balance Method
Aerodynamic method
Combined method
 Energy Method
CV contains liquid and vapor phase water
Continuity - Liquid phase
d
Rn v
m
m v w d wV dA
Hs dt CV CS

a dh dh 0
w A E No flow of liquid
dh
w
dt dt water through CS
E
dt
h

G v w AE
m
 Energy Method
Continuity - Vapor phase
d
m v qv a d qv aV dA
dt CV CS

Hs Rn v
m 0
m v qv aV dA Steady flow of air
CS over water
a
w AE
w
w AE qv aV dA
dh
E
dt
h
CS

G 1
E qv aV dA
w A CS
 Energy Method
Energy Eq. dH dW d
(eu V 2 / 2 gz) d
dt dt dt CV

(eu V 2 / 2 gz) V dA
0 CS

Hs Rn v
m
0; V 0, h const.

dH d
eu w d
a dt dt CV

Rn H s G
E
dh
dt
w h
dH
Rn H s G
dt
G
 Hs Rn v
m

Energy Method a

Energy Eq. for Water in CV E

dh
dt
w h

dH G
Rn H s G
dt
Assume:
1. Constant temp of water in CV
2. Change of heat is change in internal energy of water evaporated
dH
lv m v
dt
v Rn H s G
lv m Recall: w AE
m
Neglecting sensible and ground heat
1 fluxes
E Rn H s G R
lv w A Er n
lv w
Wind as a Factor in Evaporation
Wind has a major effect on evaporation, E
Wind removes vapor-laden air by convection
This Keeps boundary layer thin
Maintains a high rate of water transfer from
liquid to vapor phase
Wind is also turbulent
Convective diffusion is several orders of magnitude
larger than molecular diffusion
 Aerodynamic Method
Include transport of vapor Rn Net radiation

away from water surface

as function of:
Humidity gradient above Air Flow
surface
E Evaporation
Wind speed across surface
Upward vapor flux
dqv qv1 qv2
m a K w a K w
dz z2 z1
Upward momentum flux
K w qv1 qv2
m
du u2 u1 K m u 2 u1
a K m a K m
dz z2 z1
 Aerodynamic Method
Rn Net radiation

K w qv1 qv2
m
K m u 2 u1
Air Flow
Log-velocity profile
Z E Evaporation
u 1 Z
ln
u * k Z o
u
Momentum flux
k u u
2
a 2 1
lnZ 2 Z1
K w k 2 a qv1 qv2 u 2 u1
m
K m lnZ 2 Z1 2
Thornthwaite-Holzman Equation
 Aerodynamic Method

K w k 2 a qv1 qv2 u 2 u1 Rn Net radiation
m
K m lnZ 2 Z1 2

Air Flow
qv and u
E Evaporation
Often only available at 1
elevation
Simplifying
0.622k 2 a eas ea u 2 Ea Beas ea
m
PlnZ 2 Z o 2
0.622k 2 a u 2
w AE ea vapor pressure @ Z 2 B
P w lnZ 2 Z o 2
m
 Combined Method
Evaporation is calculated by
Aerodynamic method E Er
Rn
Energy supply is not limiting lv w
Energy method
E Ea Beas ea
Vapor transport is not limiting
Normally, both are limiting, so use a combination
method

E Er Ea
Priestly & Taylor

E 1.3 Er

des

4098es

C p Kh p
dT (237.3 T ) 2 0.622lv K w
 Example

Use Combo Method to find Evaporation

Elev = 2 m,
lv 2.501x106 2370T
Press = 101.3 kPa,
Wind speed = 3 m/s, (2500 2.36 * 25) x103 2441kJ/kg
Net Radiation = 200 W/m2,
Air Temp = 25 degC, Rn 200
Er 7.10 mm/day
Rel. Humidity = 40%, lv w 3
2441x10 * 997
 Example (Cont.)

Use Combo Method to find Evaporation

Elev = 2 m,
Press = 101.3 kPa, eas 3167 Pa
Wind speed = 3 m/s,
Net Radiation = 200 W/m2, ea Rh * eas 0.4 * 3167 1267 Pa
Air Temp = 25 degC,
Rel. Humidity = 40%,

0.622k 2 a u 2 0.622 * 0.4 2 *1.19 * 3 11

B m/Pa s

4.54 x10
P w lnZ 2 Z o 2
101.3 * 997 ln 2 3x10 4
2

Ea 4.54x1011 3167 1267 * (1000 mm / 1 m) * (86400s / 1day)

7.45 mm/day
 Example (Cont.)

Use Combo Method to find Evaporation

C p Kh p 1005*101.3x103
Elev = 2 m, 67.1 Pa/degC
Press = 101.3 kPa, 0.622lv K w 0.622 * 2441x103
Wind speed = 3 m/s,
4098* 3167
Net Radiation = 200 W/m2, 188.7 Pa/degC
Air Temp = 25 degC, (237.3 25) 2

Rel. Humidity = 40%,

0.738 0.262

E Er Ea 0.738 * 7.10 0.262 * 7.45 7.2 mm/day

 Example

Use Priestly-Taylor Method to find

Evaporation rate for a water body
Net Radiation = 200 W/m2,
E 1.3 Er Priestly & Taylor
Air Temp = 25 degC,

Er 7.10 mm/day 0.738

E 1.3 * 0.738* 7.10 6.80 mm/day

 Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration
Combination of evaporation from soil surface and
transpiration from vegetation
Governing factors
Energy supply and vapor transport
Supply of moisture at evaporative surfaces
Reference crop
8-15 cm of healthy growing green grass with abundant water
Combo Method works well if B is calibrated to local
conditions
 Potential Evapotranspiration
Multiply reference crop ET by a Crop Coefficient and a
Soil Coefficient ET k s kc ETr

ET Actual ET CORN
1
ETr Reference Crop ET 0.9

kc Crop Coefficient; 0.8

0.7
Crop Coefficient, kc

0.2 kc 1.3 0.6

k s Soil Coefficient; 0.5

0.4
0 ks 1 0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time Since Planting (Days)

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/04707.html
 Resources on the web
Evaporation maps from NWS climate
prediction center
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/soilmst/e.shtml
Climate maps from NCDC
http://www.nndc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/climaps/climaps.pl
Evapotranspiration variability in the US
http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/changes/natural/et/