The potential of actual evaporation: A data-driven study of surface evaporation in the Netherlands

Summary

Surface evaporation is an invisible yet crucial component in the global hydrological cycle. In that capacity, accurate estimates of evaporation rates are of vital importance for effective water management. This becomes even more critical with the expected intensification of the hydrological cycle as a consequence of global warming. A thorough understanding of the dynamics and drivers of actual surface evaporation over different land use types is essential to correctly parameterize evaporation in hydrological models, to make well-supported short-term predictions and long-term projections of surface evaporation. In this thesis, we identify the drivers of surface evaporation, including open water evaporation, based on observations conducted in the temperate maritime climate of the Netherlands. We conclude that land use type partly explains the variation of daily and midday evaporation. Therefore, water bodies and land surfaces require different evaporation parameterizations in hydrological models.