Estimating Monthly Mean Water and Energy Budgets over the Central U.S. Great Plains. Part II: Evapoclimatonomy Experiments

Abstract

The evapoclimatonomy model of Lettau (as implemented in Part I by Pinker and Corio) was designed to be applied on climatic time scales. The validity of the model on shorter time scales could extend its usefulness beyond what it was intended for. The model output of monthly mean evapotranspiration can then be used as independent ?ground truth? for testing current point parameterizations to calculate the surface energy and water budgets, particularly when some of the input parameters are derived from spatially integrated satellite observations. In the present paper, results of experiments with the model on reduced temporal and spatial scales will be presented. It was found that while on a reduced time scale (1 year) the model output compared well with observations; the results on a combination of reduced time (1 year) and spatial scales were not so favorable. This would indicate that the climatonomic assumption for the selected single watershed is not appropriate.