Evaporation and Evapotransipration in Venezuela
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1967 Evaporation and Evapotransipration in Venezuela Hidalgo Guillén Echeverría Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Biological Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Echeverría, Hidalgo Guillén, "Evaporation and Evapotransipration in Venezuela" (1967). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1562. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1562 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 3 9060 01148 7385 EVAPORA TION AND EV APOTRANSPIRA TION IN VENEZ UELA by Hidalgo Guillen Echeverr{a A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Apm.:..oved: M~ofessor Head of Deoartl£ent Dea~ 0. Graduate Studie s UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY .. Logan. Utah 1967 ACKNOWLEDGMENT I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my major professor and thesis director, Professor Jerald E. Christiansen, for his helpful suggestions and constant advice given in this study. Grateful acknowledgment is also due to committee member s Drs. A. A. Bishop and Jack Keller for their helpful advice and assistance. The financial assistance of the Univer siCl.ad de los Andes de Venezuela is deeply appreciated. I also express my thanks to Servicio de Meteorologia • • Ministerio de la Defensa and Ministerio de Obras Publicas de Venezuela for the data sent to be analyzed in this study. Special gratitude-is also due to Dr. Pedro Rincon Gutierrez and lng. Manuel Padilla H. for their encouragement and interest. Recognition is given to Mrs. C. W. Lauritzen for editorial assistance. H1da)go 'Guillen E. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Description of Venezuela 1 The tnountains 2 The coastal zone 4 The plains 4 Guayana 5 Evaporation and Evapotranspiration 6 OBJECTIVES 9 DEFINITION OF TERMS 10 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 12 Factors Affecting Evaporation and Evapotranspiration 12 Evaporation tneasuretnents 13 Fuess evaporitneter 13 Pic~e evaporitneter 13 Pan eva por ation 14 Pan coefficient 14 Direct Methods for Detertnining Evapotranspiration 15 Tank and lysitneter experitnents 15 Soil-tnoisture depletion studies 17 Integration tnethod 17 Inflow-outflow tnethod for large areas. 17 Evaporation and Evapotranspiration Fortnulas 18 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Dalton's law 19 Meyer's formula 19 CUIJlming:sandRichar.dson formula 20 Richardson formula 20 Rohwer formula 21 Lowry-Johnson method ~21 Blaney and Morin formula 22 Blaney - Criddle method 22 Penman method 23 Thornthwaite method 26 Hargreaves method 27 Kohler, Nordenson, and Fox formula ;28 Kohler and Parmele formula 30 Investigations at Utah State University 30 PROCEDURE 41 Processing the Data 42 Data from other sources 45 Procedure for Finding an Equation for Estimating Fuess Evaporation 49 Effect of rainfall 54 Final equation 57 Application of the formula 58 Comparison of the Formula with Other s for Estimating Evaporation 58 Statistical Analysis 64 Statistical parameters 64 Relation of Class A Pan Evaporation to Fuess Evaporation 66 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 70 Christiansen-Guillen Formula 70 Christiansen Formula 70 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Mathison Formula 71 Blaney-Criddle Formula 71 Hargreaves Formula 71 Penman Formula 72 Kohler Formula 72 Comparison of Formulas 72 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS LITERATURE CITED 76 APPENDIXES 80 Appendix A, C.orripu'ter Pro.gram. 81 ... Appendix B, Example of Computation of Fuess Evapo:r~tion 130 VITA 131 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Vene zuelan and Colombian meteorological stations 43 2 Venezuelan meteorological' stations, Ministry of Public Works J used in the pre sent study 44 3 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/ day. Mean monthly value s for all 22 stations 63 4 Computed pan evaporation, EVP, from measured Fuess evaporation, EVF, by using Equations 67 Appendix Tables 1 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, January 107 2 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, February 108 3 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, March 109 4 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, April 11.0 5 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/ day, May 111 6 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, June 112 7 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, July 113 LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page 8 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, August 114 9 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, September 115 10 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, October 116 11 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/day, November 117 12 Measured and computed evaporation in mm/ day, December 118 13 Absolute error 119 14 Standard deviation 120 15 Variation coefficient 121 16 Correlation coefficient 122 17 Monthly coefficient 123 18 Comparison of formulas 124 19 Mean temperature, TC and TF, Temp. Coef., CT and Log CT. for use with the formula EV = 2. 913*CH*CW~cCT~t:CS~:CCDP~:cCM 125 20 Wind velocity W (K/H) and W (M/D), Wind Coef. , CW. for use with the formula EV = 2. 913*CH~CCW):CCT*CS):CCDP~cCH 126 21 Mean relative humidity, H, Humidity Coef., CH, and Log CH for use with the fortnula EV = 2. 913*CH*CW):CCT~cCS~cCDP:(CM 127 LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page 22 Sunshine per centage, S, Sunshine Coef. , CS, and Log CS for use with the formula EV + 2913* CH*CW':CCT*CS*CDP*CM 128 23 Days of precipitation, DP, Days of Prec. Coe£. CDP, and Log CDP ~ for use with the formula EV = EV = 2.913*CH*CW':CCT>!cCS*CDP*CM 129 24 Example, computation of evaporation 1'30 LIST ·OF. FIGURES Figure Page 1 Map of Venezuela 1A 2 EVD/KC T CWCS versus Relative Humidity, H 51 3 52 EVD/KC H C T C w versus Sunshine, S 4 EVD/KC CWCS versus Mean Temperature, T 53 H 5 EVD/KC C C versus Wind, W 55 T H s 6 EVD/KC C CWCS versus Elevation, E 56 T H 7 Comparison of formulas for estimating pan and Fuess evaporation 59 8 Comparison of formulas for estimating pan and Fuess evaporation, based on Station No. 1 data. 60 9 Comparison of formulas .for estimating pan and Fuess evaporation, based on Station No. 2 data. 61 10 Comparison of formulas for estimating pan and Fuess evaporation, based On Station No. 3 data. 62 11 Monthly factor, ~, versus Mean Humidity, HM 68 ABSTRACT Evaporation and Evapotranspiration in Venezuela by Hidalgo Guillt:tn Echeverr{a, Master of Science Utah State University, 1967 Major Professor: Jerald E. Christiansen Department: Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Equations and tables for estimating Fuess evaporation from climatological data were developed. Ten year s of average records from 22 stations in Venezuela were analyzed in order to develop the equations. Mathematical regression analysis, and plotting and computer programs were used to work out the equations. The form of the final expression for estimating Fuess evaporation is as follows: Pan evaporation was computed using the Christiansen, Mathison, Blaney-Criddle, Hargreaves, Penman, and Kohler formulas. The computed pan evaporation from these formulas, measured Fuess evaporation, and computed Fuess evaporation were compared. The equation best suited for estimating Fue~s evaporation in Venezuela was selected by statistical analysis. Coefficients were determined for the new Fuess evaporation formula. An example showing ease of application of the equation is given. ( 141 pages) INTRODUCTION Description of Venezuela Venezuela lies on the north coast of South America, between latitude s 0 0 45' and 120 12, N, and longitudes 590 45 " and 73°09. Venezuela has an area of 352,150 square miles, or about the combined areas of Texas and Oklahoma, with a population of approximately 8, 000, 000. It is the northernmost country in South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea for 1, 748 miles and the Atlantic Ocean for 435 mile s, giving the country a long coast line outside the hurricane zone of the Caribbean. The other border s are with Colombia--1, 274 miles--with Brazil--1, 243 miles--and with British Guiana- -462 miles. The longest distance from north to south is 808 miles, and from east to west, 932 miles. The country is divided into four geographical zones, as follows: 1. The Mountains, which include the Ande s, the Perija Range, the mountains and arid zone s of Falcon and Lara State s, and the coastal range; 2. The Coastal Zone, north of the mountains, which extends from the shore s of Lake Maracaibo in the we st to the Caribbean Sea .. , ~L----- .- -JL _. ___ __ .__ .______ ___ ___ ~ ________ ~ .. ~_~~~~_____ +-_.___ ------~~~_1--- - . - lLOS IOOUO OL ~ .:;) , , ,..- f, 9" I--- ..+-~+-== - ---+-----f t" REPUBLIC !I •. I----..-+-- ...,. --- -.... ---=-~---+- !!l' . OF ., ,. .....VENEZUELA ,.. ao.. I 9 ~I · ·--..--~-- ---.--------~---.-. ~---~~ I ' 60· , 'Figure 1. Map of Venezuela ~ ., . 2 and the lowlands of the Orinoco Delta in the east; 3. The Plains, covering the area between the mountains and the Orinoco River; and 4. Guayana, the region covered by Bolivar State and the Amazonas Territory, bounded by the Orinoco River and bordering British Guiana, Brazil, and Colombia. The mountains The regions of mildest climate in Venezuela are located in the Ande 8 Mountains (Tcrchira, Me'rida, and Trujillo), the Coastal Range, and the southern high plateaus. As a result, these are the most densely populated regions in the country. Although they cover only 12 percent of the area of Venezuela, they hold 65 percent of the nation I s population. The mountain valleY3, the Andean terrace s and the mountain slopes are good farmlands for growing of corn, cotton, sugarcane, rice, and sesame, while th.e higher mountain areas are producers of coffee.