Potential evapotranspiration estimate in northern Algeria

Abstract

The estimation of potential evapotranspiration requires data from measurements on specialized meteorological stations. The objective of this research is to establish a relationship between the values of potential evapotranspiration and air temperatures. Air temperatures are the generating and dominant factor. The research should lead to a simple formula, with the minimum number of parameters, allowing the ETP to be evaluated. The reference data are the values of the potential annual and monthly evapotranspiration, calculated by the modified Penman-Monteith method. On the basis of a suitable grapho-analytical analysis of the dependencies between the values of the potential evapotranspiration and the average air temperatures, we try to come up with a simple formula. The expected objective of obtaining a formula allows the ETP to be determined on the basis of standard temperature data, at any point in northern Algeria and throughout the Maghreb.