Analysis of spatial and temporal changes in actual evapotranspiration using the SEBAL model (Case study: Khosuyeh Dam watershed)

Soheili, Esmaeil; Mohammadii, Zahra; Niazi, Yaghoub; Foroughi, Farid

doi:10.22059/ije.2025.387267.1858

Analysis of spatial and temporal changes in actual evapotranspiration using the SEBAL model (Case study: Khosuyeh Dam watershed)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Range and Watershed Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Darab, Iran

² M.Sc. Student of Ecohydrology, Department of Range and watershed management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Darab, Iran

³ Ph.D. in Watershed Management Sciences and Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Darab, Iran.

10.22059/ije.2025.387267.1858

Abstract

Objective: Actual evapotranspiration is one of the key components of the hydrological cycle that plays a significant role in water resources management and water balance determination. The SEBAL model, using thermal and visible satellite data, allows for direct and indirect estimation of evapotranspiration, and its results are highly accurate, especially in large and remote areas.
Method: To analyze the temporal changes of actual evapotranspiration in the Khosuyeh Dam watershed, the SEBAL model and Landsat 7 and 8 satellite images were used.
Results: The results of comparing the actual evapotranspiration obtained from the SEBAL model with the potential evapotranspiration calculated from the Penman-Monteith model in 2001 and 2021 showed a positive and significant relationship between these two variables. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of determination (R²), and Wilmot index (d) in 2021 were 0.93, 0.86, and 0.92, respectively, indicating a very strong correlation between actual and potential evapotranspiration. In contrast, in 2001, these values were 0.81, 0.65, and 0.61, respectively, indicating that the accuracy of the SEBAL model in 2021 has improved significantly compared to 2001.
Conclusions: The results indicate the appropriate ability of this algorithm in estimating evapotranspiration and also show that the amount of this parameter has an increasing trend and this value is about 16.5% on average. The results obtained can be used as a basis for management decisions in the field of optimizing the use of water resources and dealing with the challenges caused by climate change in arid and semi-arid regions of the country

Keywords

Main Subjects

Ecohydrology

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