3. Evaporation from Different Surfaces

Water evaporates from different, wet surfaces. This chapter briefly describes water evaporation from various evaporating surfaces and their specific features are accented. Evaporation of intercepted water, evaporation from water surfaces, from snow and ice as well as evaporation from urbanized surfaces is described. Transpiration as a process of water transport from soil through plant to the atmosphere is discussed. The basic features of water transport through plants and properties of roots and leaves (stomata) are given, to better understand the transpiration process. The term potential evapotranspiration, as well as potential transpiration (evaporation), is described and quantified. Conditions necessary for potential evapotranspiration are presented and the process of potential transpiration is defined. Finally, the term potential evapotranspiration index is described.