Solar radiation, longwave radiation and emergent wetland evapotranspiration estimates from satellite data in Florida, USA

• Published in: Hydrological sciences journal Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 461 - 476
• Main Authors: JACOBS, Jennifer M, ANDERSON, Martha C, FRIESS, Lee C, DIAK, George R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wallingford IAHS Press 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Applied geophysics; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Internal geophysics; Florida; United States; USA, Florida; satellites; models; Space remote sensing; solar radiation; satellite methods; evapotranspiration; clouds; North America; surface water; wetlands; temperature; statistical analysis; heat flux
• ISSN: 0262-6667; 2150-3435
• DOI: 10.1623/hysj.49.3.461.54352

Routine estimates of daily incoming solar radiation from the GOES-8 satellite were compared to locally measured values in Florida. Longwave radiation estimates corrected using GOES-derived cloud amount and cloud top temperature products improved net radiation estimates as compared to a clear sky longwave approach. The Penman-Monteith, Turc, Hargreaves and Makkink models were applied using GOES-derived estimates of solar radiation and net radiation to predict daily evapotranspiration and were compared to evapotranspiration measured with an eddy-correlation system in an emergent wetland experimental site in north-central Florida under unstressed conditions. While the Penman-Monteith model provided the best estimates of evapotranspiration (R super(2) = 0.92), the empirical Makkink method demonstrated nearly comparable agreement (R super(2) = 0.90) using only the GOES solar radiation and measured temperature. The results show that it is possible to generate spatially distributed daily potential evapotranspiration estimates using GOES-derived solar radiation and net radiation with limited additional surface measurements.