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Evaluation of Radiation-Based Reference Evapotranspiration Models Under Different Mediterranean Climates in Central Greece

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Abstract

Eighteen radiation-based equations used to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETref) were generalized into seven linear models. The general models were calibrated using the standard FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method. Model performance was evaluated under humid, sub-humid and semi-arid mediterranean climatic conditions in central Greece. Evaluation and comparison of the models was based on quantitative assessment of their ability to accurately estimate ETref values, generated by the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith equation. All models provided relatively accurate estimates of ETref. The Abtew model showed the best overall performance with respect to the data from all available climate stations of central Greece. The average error of the Abtew model in the monthly average daily ETref estimates was 0.24 mm, which corresponds to a relative error of 7.7 %. The Abtew method has not yet been tested under mediterranean climatic conditions. Based on our results, it seems to be a good choice for the estimation of monthly average daily ETref under different conditions in the mediterranean climate. An exception appears to be the mediterranean climate with relatively high humidity and low wind speed. Under these conditions the models of the Priestley-Taylor group, the Makkink group and the Jensen-Haise group performed better than the Abtew equation.

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Notes

  1. A hypothetical reference crop with an assumed crop height of 0.12 m, a fixed surface resistance of 70 s · m − 1 and an albedo of 0.23.

  2. Based on the aridity index (AI = P / PET), where P is the annual precipitation and PET the annual potential evapotranspiration, the climate is considered as semi-arid (0.2 < AI < 0.5), sub-humid (0.5 < AI < 0.75) and humid (AI > 0.75).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Nathan Briggs for proofreading the manuscript. We also thank Dr Fotios Xystrakis for his useful suggestions and constructive discussions. Dr Stefanie Gärtner we also thank for checking and commenting on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gr. Xenopoulou 44, 16346, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios A. Samaras

  2. Chair of Vegetation Science, University of Freiburg, 79085, Freiburg i.Br., Germany

    Albert Reif

  3. Institute of Forest Botany-Geobotany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

    Konstantinos Theodoropoulos

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  1. Dimitrios A. Samaras
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  2. Albert Reif
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  3. Konstantinos Theodoropoulos
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Correspondence to Dimitrios A. Samaras.

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Samaras, D.A., Reif, A. & Theodoropoulos, K. Evaluation of Radiation-Based Reference Evapotranspiration Models Under Different Mediterranean Climates in Central Greece. Water Resour Manage 28, 207–225 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-013-0480-3

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