evaporation and transpiration Flashcards
is a natural process by which a liquid change into a gas or vapor. This process plays a significant role in various fields such as environmental science, medicine, and engineering.
Evaporation
FACTORS CONTROLLING THE EVAPORATION PROCESS
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Wind Speed
- Surface Area
- Solar Radiation
- Air Pressure
- Type of Liquid
- Presence of Solutes
Higher temperatures generally lead to increased evaporation rates. As temperature rises, the kinetic energy of water molecules also increases, causing more of them to escape the liquid phase and enter the vapor phase.
- Temperature
refers to the amount of water vapor present in the air. When the air is already saturated with water vapor (high humidity), the evaporation rate slows down because there is less room for additional water molecules to enter the air.
- Humidity
Wind accelerates evaporation by carrying away the water vapor that accumulates near the evaporating surface. This process helps maintain a lower humidity level, allowing more water molecules to evaporate from the surface.
- Wind Speed
Larger surface areas provide more space for water molecules to escape from the liquid to the vapor phase. In natural systems, bodies of water with larger surface areas tend to have higher evaporation rates.
- Surface Area
Sunlight provides the energy required for evaporation to occur. Regions with more intense and prolonged sunlight experience higher evaporation rates.
- Solar Radiation
Lower air pressure at higher altitudes can increase evaporation rates. This is because the lower air pressure allows water to boil at lower temperatures, leading to more rapid evaporation.
- Air Pressure
The physical properties of the liquid itself, such as viscosity and vapor pressure, can influence evaporation rates. Liquids with higher vapor pressures tend to evaporate more quickly.
- Type of Liquid
Adding solutes to water can affect the evaporation rate. In some cases, solutes may lower the rate of evaporation (e.g., dissolved salts in seawater).
- Presence of Solutes
MASS TRANSFER EVAPORATION OF RESERVOIR EVAPORATION
Mass Transfer Method
Evaporation
Wind Speed
Vapor Pressure
Saturation Vapor Pressure:
It is the method for estimating the actual evaporation from a body of water, assuming it is proportional to the product of wind velocity, the difference between the saturation vapor pressure at water surface temperature and the vapor pressure of the ambient air, and an empirical mass-transfer coefficient.
Mass Transfer Method
it is the process by which water is changed from the liquid state to its gaseous equivalent.
Evaporation
Also known as wind flow velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric quantity caused by air moving from high to low pressure, due to changes in temperature.
Wind Speed
It is the pressure of a vapor in contact with its solid or liquid form.
Vapor Pressure
The pressure vapor at which the gaseous phase of a substance can coexists with the liquid or solid phase in equilibrium at a given temperature.
Saturation Vapor Pressure:
These are pans containing water which are exposed to the atmosphere. Loss of water by evaporation from these pans are measured at regular intervals (daily). Meteorological data such as humidity, wind velocity, air and water temperatures, and precipitation are also measured and noted along with evaporation.
Evaporimeter
Types of Evaporimeter.
- USWB Class-A pan evaporimeter
- ISI standard pan evaporimeter
- Colorado Sunken pan
- USGS Floating Pan
Is the most widely used evaporimeter in the world for finding evaporation from the free water surface. It consists of a 121.5 cm diameter and 25.4 cm deep pan made of 20-gauge galvanized iron sheet with a stilling well. A vertical pointer is provided in the stilling well to show the level of water maintained in the pan. The pan is painted white and is placed on a wooden frame so that air may circulate beneath the pan.
- USWB Class-A pan evaporimeter
Is widely used for measuring evaporation rates in India. It is a cylindrical pan made of galvanized iron and has a diameter of 122 cm and a depth of 25 cm. The pan is painted white to reflect solar radiation and has a water capacity of approximately 50 liters.
- ISI standard pan evaporimeter
A type of evaporation pan that is about 1 m (3 ft) square and 0.5 m (18 in.) deep. This pan is sunk into the ground to within about 5 cm (2 in.) of its rim, and the water is maintained at about ground level. It is made of unpainted galvanized iron. The pan coefficient, on an annual basis, is about 0.8.
- Colorado Sunken Pan
Is a square pan of 90cm sides and 45cm deep. Supported by drum floats in the middle of a raft size 4.25 x 4.87 m, it is set afloat in a lake with a view to simulate the characteristic of a large body of water
- USGS Floating Pan
is a measure of the evaporative efficiency of the pan. It is defined as the ratio of the actual evaporation rate from the pan to the theoretical evaporation rate from a free water surface under the same climatic conditions. The pan coefficient depends on various factors such as wind speed, air temperature, humidity, and solar radiation.
PAN COEFFICIENT
are complete systems used to measure the amount of water lost each day to evaporation.
EVAPORATION STATIONS
WMO recommends the following values of minimum density of evaporimeters
• Arid Zones – 1 station for every 30,000 sq.km
• Humid Temperate Zones - 1 station for every 50,000 sq.km
• Cold regions - 1 station for every 100,000 sq.km
A typical hydro-meteorological station has the following:
• Recording rain gauge and non-recording rain gauge
• Stevenson box with maximum, minimum, wet, and dry bulb thermometers
• Wind anemometer and wind vane
• Pan evaporimeter
• Sunshine Recorder
Is a semi-empirical equation combining mass transfer (Ea) and energy balance (er) methods. The formula was developed by Penman in 1948 and is still widely used for calculating the potential evaporation using synoptic meteorological data.
PENMAN EQUATION
SUMMARY AND APPRAISAL OF TECHNIQUE FOR ESTIMATING RESEVOIR EVAPORATION.
WATER BUDGET METHOD
MASS TRANSFER MODELS
PAN EVAPORATION METHOD
estimates reservoir evaporation by considering the change in water levels, inflows, outflows, and precipitation. This method can be practical for long-term estimates and does not rely solely on evaporation data. However, it may not be accurate for short-term assessments, especially if other water balance components are not accurately measured.
WATER BUDGET METHOD
use principles of heat and mass transfer to estimate evaporation rates from reservoir surfaces. These models can be more accurate than empirical methods, especially when combined with detailed meteorological data.
MASS TRANSFER MODELS
involves measuring the rate of water evaporation from a standard evaporation pan, usually placed near the reservoir. This method is simple and cost-effective, making it widely used. It provides an estimation of potential evaporation and needs a pan coefficient to convert it to reservoir evaporation, introducing some level of uncertainty.
PAN EVAPORATION METHOD
Reducing evaporation from water bodies can indeed lead to an increase in available water supplies. Evaporation is a natural process by which water is converted from liquid to vapor and lost to the atmosphere.
INCREASED WATER SUPPLIES THROUGH REDUCED EVAPORATION.
Strategies to reduce evaporation and enhance water supplies.
- Floating Covers
- Windbreaks and Vegetation
- Water Conservation Practices
- Increased Water Recycling and Reuse
- Water Harvesting and Rainwater Collection
- Liners and Sealing