Evapotranspiration and sensible heat flux estimation above grass: Comparison of methods and correlation of several attributes to routinely measured data

Hourly lysimetric and micrometeorological data taken over a grass surface at the Meteorological Research Unit, Cardington U.K. have been analysed. Measured quantities include sensible heat flux and friction velocity, obtained directly by the eddy correlation method, wind speeds and temperatures at various heights, screen dry and wet-bulb temperatures, net radiation, soil heat flux at several soil depths and lysimetric data taken hourly by a weighing type lysimeter. A temperature and wind difference allowed sensible heat and momentum fluxes determination by the profile method on an hourly basis. Estimation of latent and sensible heat flux by the resistance method is also obtained. Use is made of the energy balance at the surface and of the Monteith-Penman formula for estimation of the latent heat flux. Equations based on the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory are used to account for stability effects. Aerodynamic and surface resistances, necessary for the Penman-Monteith equation are also calculated from routinely measured meteorological data.The comparison of the various methods leads to the establishment of empirical relationships which correlate various quantities such as soil heat flux, resistances, evapotranspiration etc. to routinely measured meteorological data. The experiment was performed under near neutral or slightly unstable conditions. It appears that, under these environmental conditions the profile method for estimation of sensible heat flux and friction velocity is found to work excellently. Surface latent and sensible heat fluxes can also be described very well by the resistance method. The results also substantiate the accuracy of the Penman-Monteith equation for estimating latent heat flux and its insensitivity to adjustments for atmospheric stability.