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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412100
Research Project: Dryland and Irrigated Crop Management Under Limited Water Availability and Drought

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Field evaluation of the Eddy Covariance method to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) in a semi-arid climate using weighing lysimeters

Author
item Marek, Gary
item Evett, Steven - Steve
item Colaizzi, Paul
item MAREK, THOMAS - Texas A&M Agrilife

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The eddy covariance method (EC) is commonly used for estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) in agricultural research fields. The proliferation of modern EC systems and flux tower networks has led to general acceptance of EC as the defacto method for accurate estimation of ET. However, errors associated with lack of energy balance closure, data spikes, and violations of principle assumptions contribute to the uncertainty of EC measurements. Moreover, comparisons with direct measurements of ET using weighing lysimeters are noticeably absent from the literature or indicate uncertainty. We present preliminary findings of comparisons between lysimeter-derived ET measurements and ET estimates from EC systems positioned in both sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigated lysimeter fields near Bushland, TX. Comparisons include sub-hourly, hourly, and daily time intervals of ET for fields planted to upland cotton in the 2023 summer growing season. These findings have implications for the efficacy of EC systems to estimate crop ET in a semi-arid environment.