Operational Evapotranspiration Mapping Using Remote Sensing and Weather Datasets: A New Parameterization for the SSEB Approach

Abstract The increasing availability of multi‐scale remotely sensed data and global weather datasets is allowing the estimation of evapotranspiration ( ET ) at multiple scales. We present a simple but robust method that uses remotely sensed thermal data and model‐assimilated weather fields to produce ET for the contiguous United States ( CONUS ) at monthly and seasonal time scales. The method is based on the Simplified Surface Energy Balance ( SSEB ) model, which is now parameterized for operational applications, renamed as SSEB op. The innovative aspect of the SSEB op is that it uses predefined boundary conditions that are unique to each pixel for the “hot” and “cold” reference conditions. The SSEB op model…

• UG
  U.S. Geological Survey
• AR
  Agricultural Research Service