A multiple regression analysis of evaporation during the growing season of vegetation in the arid zone of India

• Published in: Agricultural meteorology Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 297 - 307
• Main Authors: Krishnan, A., Kushwaha, R.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 1973
• Subjects: India
• ISSN: 0002-1571
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-1571(73)90027-7

Class A pan evaporation data are examined for 49 computation periods of 5 days at Jodhpur in the Indian arid zone. The 5-day periods cover the growing seasons of 1963 and 1964 for native vegetation. Multiple regression analyses were carried out of evaporation Y (mm day−1) against the climatological factors, total global radiation X1 (cal. cm−2 day−1), estimated net radiation X2 (cal. cm−2 day−1) saturation deficit at maximum temperature epoch X3 (mm of Hg) and saturation deficit at mean temperature X5 (mm of Hg) and mean daily wind speed X4 (km h−1). The results indicate that the aerodynamic factors are important in the Jodhpur climate and the pair of factors, saturation deficit at a maximum temperature epoch and daily mean wind speed explain 83% of the variance. The addition of measured total global radiation or estimated net radiation increases the explained variance by 5% and 1%, respectively.