EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

Measurement of Evapotranspiration

1. Lysimeters

2. Field Plots
(invoking water budget equation)

Estimation of Evapotranspiration

a) PENMANS EQUATION
based on energy-balance and mass tranfer

PET

= daily potential evaporation in mm/day

= saturation vapour pressure gradient with temperature at mean air temp

mm of Hg/oC

Hn

= net radiation in mm of water/day

Ea

= f(wind velocity & vapour pressure deficit)

= pshychrometric constant = 0.49 mm of Hg/oC

Estimation of A
Saturation vapour pressure of water and pressure gradient

Estimation of Hn

n
n

H n H a 1 r a b Ta4 0.56 0.092 ea 0.10 0.90

N
N

Ha

= incident solar radiation in mm of water/day

f( latitude, period of year)

= 0.29 cos(latitude in degree)

= 0.52

= maximum possible hours of bright sunshine

f(latitutde)

= actual hour of sunshine

= reflection coefficient (albedo)

f(water/land surface)

Estimation of Ea

V2

E a 0.35 1
e s ea
160

V2

= wind velocity at 2 m above the ground in km/day

es

= saturation vapour pressure at water temp. in mm of Hg

ea

= actual vapour pressure at air temp. in mm of Hg

Estimation of Ha
Mean monthly solar radiation at top of atmosphere, H a in mm of
water/day

Estimation of N

Mean monthly values of possible sunshine hours, N

b) BLANEY-CRIDDLE EQUATION
Empirical equation based of data from arid western US
Evapotranspiration in crop season in cm

ET 2.54 KF
F Ph T f / 100
ET

= PET in a crop season in cm

= f (crop type)

Ph

= monthly percent of annual day-time hours; f (latitutde)

Tf

= mean monthly temp. in oF

Values of K for selected Crops

Monthly daytime hours percentage Pa for use in Blaney-Criddle

Equation

RAINWATER HARVESTING

What is Rainwater harvesting?

Conscious collection and storage of rainwater to

cater

to

demands

of

water,

for

drinking,

domestic purpose & irrigation is termed as

Rainwater Harvesting

Why harvest rainwater ?

There are many reasons but following are some of the important
ones.
To arrest ground water decline and augment ground water table
To improve water quality in aquifers
To conserve surface water runoff during monsoon
To reduce soil erosion
To inculcate a culture of water conservation

How to harvest rainwater:

Broadly there are two ways of harvesting rainwater:
(i)

Surface runoff harvesting

(ii)

Roof top rainwater harvesting

Components of the roof top rainwater

harvesting system
Components of the roof top rainwater harvesting system

Catchment
Transportation
First flush
Filter

Sand Gravel Filter

Charcoal Filter

PVC- Pipe filter

.

METHODS OF ROOF TOP RAINWATER HARVESTING

Storage of Direct use
Recharging ground water aquifers
a)

Recharging of bore wells

b)

Recharging of dug wells.

c)

Recharge pits

d)

Recharge Trenches

e)

Soak ways or Recharge Shafts

f)

Percolation Tanks

Recharging of bore wells

Recharge Pits

Soak away or Recharge Shafts

Recharging of dug wells

Recharge Trenches