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A comparative analysis of micrometeorological determinants of evapotranspiration rates within a heterogeneous urban environment
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

A comparative analysis of micrometeorological determinants of evapotranspiration rates within a heterogeneous urban environment

Kimberly DiGiovanni-White, Franco Montalto and Stuart Gaffin
Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), v 562
Jul 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.067
PMID: 33041368
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.067View
Accepted (AM)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze),  Open

Abstract

Ecohydrology Evapotranspiration Micrometeorology Spatial variability Urban environment Urban microclimate
•Micrometeorological conditions (Rsin, T, RH and u2) monitored at six sites in NYC.•Reference evapotranspiration (RET) estimated for airport & urban green space sites.•Spatial variability of micrometeorological conditions and RET evaluated.•Rsin, T, RH, u2 and RET statistically significantly different across sites.•Methods for adjusting data from collection site to local conditions explored. Variability in micrometeorological conditions and their influence on estimated reference evapotranspiration (RET) rates were evaluated across a heterogeneous urban environment. Micrometeorological data sets (incoming solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) were collected over a one-year period at six weather stations in New York City, NY (USA). Weather stations are located at four new urban green space monitoring sites and two airports. Reference evapotranspiration (RET) rates were estimated from the micrometeorological data sets for a short reference surface at a daily time-step using the ASCE Standardized Reference Evapotranspiration Equation, a Penman-Monteith based combination equation. Non-parametric comparative statistical analyses (Kruskal-Wallis) revealed statistically significant differences (at significance level α = 0.05) in micrometeorological conditions and estimated RET rates between the six sites. On a cumulative annual basis, estimated RET varied by up to 40 percent between the sites. A new technique for adjusting weather data collected at one location (e.g. regional airports) for use at another location (e.g. interior engineered urban green spaces) was evaluated. The study highlights the importance, for accurate estimation of ET, of onsite micrometeorological data sets, but concludes that additional research is needed to more thoroughly characterize micrometeorological variability across heterogeneous urban environments, and also to evaluate the influence of non-meteorological determinants, e.g. vegetation type, soil/media type, media moisture conditions and anthropogenic heat fluxes, on urban ET.

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32 citations in Web of Science
32 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Civil
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Water Resources
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