EVAPOTRANSPIRATION MAPS FOR AUSTRALIA

Evapotranspiration is a key component of the water and energy balance. Estimates of evapotranspiration are required for many applications. The Bureau of Meteorology and the Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology released a set of Evapotranspiration Maps for Australia in July 2001 as part of the Bureau's Climatic Atlas series. The maps give average monthly and annual values of three evapotranspiration variables: point potential evapotranspiration, areal potential evapotranspiration and areal actual evapotranspiration. The evapotranspiration estimates are based on Morton's complementary relationship model and are derived using climate data from over 700 locations throughout Australia. This paper presents an overview of the evapotranspiration maps, describes how the estimates are derived, and where the various evapotranspiration variables can be used.