Evapotranspiration Intensifies over the Conterminous United States
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 127, Issue 6
Abstract
Using long-term (1948–1996) pan evaporation measurements, a 6% increase in warm-season (May–October) actual evapotranspiration (ET) is computed over the conterminous United States between 1949 and 1996 via the complementary hypothesis. This predicted increase in ET is in agreement with the measured precipitation increase for the same period if long-term wet-surface ET is assumed to be constant. Long-term relative humidity and air temperature measurements express an increase in mean air temperature and water vapor concentration but not a statistically significant change in vapor pressure deficit. The latter implies a smaller than 6% increase in actual warm-season ET. Water-balance estimates for six watersheds, covering about 50% of the land area of the contiguous states of the United States, indicate a 3% increase in annual ET over the same period.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 127 • Issue 6 • December 2001
Pages: 354 - 362
History
Received: May 22, 2000
Published online: Dec 1, 2001
Published in print: Dec 2001
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