Evaluation of Different Methods of Calculating the Potential Evapotranspiration at the Annual Timescale in the Northeast of Iran

One of the most fundamental processes, which influence climate and weather, both global and local scales that a fact which gives it the status of agriculture, is Evapotranspiration (ET). In irrigation and water resources management, ecosystem modelers, environmental assessment and solar energy system, accurate assessment of evapotranspiration is essential. Potential evapotranspiration (ET) has commonly applied to calculate the actual evapotranspiration, which was difficult to estimate by lysimeter measurement and water balance approach under field conditions. Until now, many methods have reported to estimating ET, however, due to the availability of the observed data, it is difficult to choose the optimal method. In this study, to determination of the best potential evapotranspiration method for the Khorasan Razavi Province, three temperature-based methods, Hargreaves–Samani (HS), Hamon (HAM) and Linacre (LIN) and five radiation-based methods, Jensen-Haise (JH), Makkink (MAK), McGuinness and Bordne (MB), Abtew (ABT), and Priestley–Taylor (PT), were compared with PM at yearly scale, using long-term (11-67 years) data from 13 meteorology stations. Indicators, viz. The correlation coefficient (CC), Relative bias (BIAS), normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) and Relative error(Re) were used to evaluate the performance of ET estimations by the above-mentioned eight methods. The results showed that the performance of the methods in ET estimation varied among regions; ETLIN overestimated ET, while others underestimated. In Dargaz and Golmakan, ETHS yielded similar estimations to that of ETPM, while, in Torbate-jam and Khaf, ETLIN showed better performances. Also in Mashhad and Gonabad, ETHAM, in Neyshabour, ETJH and in Torbat-e Heydarieh, ETABT showed better performances. But in Fariman, Kashmar, Sabzevar, Sarakhs and Quchan, all methods showed poor performance. It indicated that ETPM is acceptable for ET simulation for the yearly timescale in these areas.    ​