ORIGINAL RESEARCH
A Comparative Study of Evapotranspiration
Simulation in Semiarid Sandy Land Using
Two Surface Energy Balance Models
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1
School of Water Conservancy and Cival Engineeing,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
2
Autonomous Region Collaborative Innovation Center for Comprehensive Management of Water Resources
and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Section of the Yellow River Basin, Hohhot 010018, China
3
Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology and High-Efficient Utilization of Water Resources,
Hohhot 010018, China
Submission date: 2024-02-28
Final revision date: 2024-03-15
Acceptance date: 2024-05-27
Online publication date: 2024-09-16
Corresponding author
Tingxi Liu
School of Water Conservancy and Cival Engineeing,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
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ABSTRACT
Accurate evapotranspiration (ET) estimation is vital for the ecology and water resource management
of arid and semiarid regions. This study focused on the Kolqin Sandy Land Inland Closed Basin.
The simulation of energy flux data for the area was conducted by applying Landsat 8 data from
2018 to 2022 during the growing season, the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB), and the Mapping
Evapotranspiration at High Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) models. The validation
of both models was performed via eddy covariance systems and large-aperture scintillometers, and the
applicability of both models was compared. At the ecosystem scale, the TSEB model exhibited excellent
accuracy of latent heat flux simulation in dune and meadow ecosystems (R²>0.8, RMSE<45.74 W/m², and
MAPE<26%), while the METRIC model excelled in meadow ecosystems (R² = 0.89, RMSE = 27.79 W/m²,
and MAPE = 12%). In contrast, at the regional scale, the TSEB model outperformed METRIC for
sensible heat flux simulation (R²: 0.65-0.68, RMSE: 22.83-43.28 W/m², MAPE: 14%-17%). The TSEB
model ranked evapotranspiration in the order of lakes>meadow wetlands>farmland>dunes, peaking in
August and following a seasonal pattern of summer>spring>autumn. Additionally, evapotranspiration
varied with LAI during the pre-middle growth period and responded significantly to △T in the late
vegetation period.