Method and system for estimating evaporation representative of an area

A system for estimating evaporation representative of an area at a particular location, the system comprising:

• an air temperature receiver module arranged to receive air temperature information from temperature sensors at the particular location;
• a processor operable to use the received air temperature information to determine at least average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature at the particular location substantially sub-hourly;
• a soil heat flux receiver module arranged to receive soil heat flux information, the soil heat flux information being indicative of soil heat flux of the particular location;
• a net irradiance receiver module arranged to receive net irradiance information, the net irradiance information being indicative of net irradiance associated with the particular location;
• a sensible heat flux determining module arranged to determine, substantially in real-time, sensible heat flux associated with the particular location by using at least the determined at least average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature at the particular location substantially sub-hourly, and
• an evaporation determining module arranged to determine, substantially in real-time, an estimate of the evaporation level of the particular location by using at least the determined sensible heat flux, received soil heat flux information, and received net irradiance information.

A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

• receive air temperature information from temperature sensors at a particular location;
• use the received air temperature information to determine average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature associated with the particular location substantially sub-hourly;
• receive soil heat flux information, the soil heat flux information being indicative of soil heat flux associated with the particular location;
• receive net irradiance information, the net irradiance information being indicative of net irradiance associated with the particular location;
• determine, substantially sub-hourly, sensible heat flux associated with the particular location by using at least the determined average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature associated with the particular location substantially sub-hourly, and
• determine, substantially sub-hourly, an estimate of the evaporation level of the particular location by using at least the determined sensible heat flux, received soil heat flux information, and received net irradiance information.

A datalogger device which includes:

• means for receiving air temperature information from temperature sensors at a particular location;
• means for using the received air temperature information to determine average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature associated with the particular location substantially sub-hourly;
• means for receiving soil heat flux information, the soil heat flux information being indicative of soil heat flux associated with the particular location;
• means for receiving net irradiance information, the net irradiance information being indicative of net irradiance associated with the particular location;
• means for determining, substantially sub-hourly, sensible heat flux associated with the particular location by using at least the determined average air temperature, standard deviation of the air temperature, and skewness of the air temperature associated with the particular location, and
• means for determining, substantially sub-hourly, an estimate of the evaporation level of the particular location by using at least the determined sensible heat flux, received soil heat flux information, and received net irradiance information.