MEASUREMENT OF EVAPORATION

SUBJECT – HYDROLOGY

BY

Department of Civil Engineering

Ideal Institute Of Engineering Kalyani

 Introduction
Evaporation
 Evaporation is the process in which a liquid changes to the gaseous state as
the free surface, below its boiling point, through the transfer of energy.
Evaporation is a cooling process- the latent heat of vaporization (~585 Cal/g
of evaporated water) must be provided by the water body. Rate of evaporation
depends on
o Vapour pressures at the water surface and the air above
o Wind speed - Incident solar radiation
o Atmospheric pressure - Quality of water
o Air and water temperatures
o Size of the water body
Vapour pressure – Rate of evaporation is proportional to the difference between
the saturation vapour pressure (SVP) at the water temperature and the actual
vapour pressure in the air ( )
This equation is called Dalton’s Law of Evaporation. Evaporation occurs till
.If condensation takes place.
Temperature – Rate of evaporation increases with an increase in water
temperature. Although there is an increase in the rate of evaporation with increase
in air temperature, a high correlation does not exist between. For the same mean
monthly temperature, evaporation from a lake may be different in different months.
Wind – Wind helps to remove the evaporated water vapour from the zone of
evaporation, thereby creating greater scope for evaporation. Rate of evaporation
increases with increase in wind velocity up to some limit (critical wind speed) and
thereafter any further increase in wind velocity does not have any effect on the
evaporation rates. This critical wind speed value is a function of the size of the
water surface (large water bodies – high wind speeds)
Atmospheric Pressure – Other factors remaining the same, a decrease in
atmospheric pressure (as in high altitude areas) increases the evaporation rate.
Soluble salts – When a solute is dissolved in water, the vapour pressure of the
solution is less than that of pure water and hence it causes reduction in the rate of
evaporation. The percentage reduction in the evaporation rate approximately
corresponds to the percentage increase in specific gravity Under identical
conditions evaporation from sea water is about 2-3% less than that from fresh
water.
 What is Evaporation and How it Occurs
 Before rainfall reaches the outlet of a basin as runoff, certain demands of the
catchment such as interception, depression storage and infiltration have to be
met. Besides these, evaporation and transpiration processes transfer water to
the atmosphere as water vapour. Evaporation from water bodies and the soil
mass together with transpiration from vegetation is called evapotranspiration
(ET). That portion of Precipitation which is not available as surface runoff is
termed as “loss”.
Heat storage in water bodies
 Deep water bodies have more heat storage capacity than shallow water
bodies. A deep lake stores radiation energy received in summer and releases
it in winter resulting in less evaporation in summer and more evaporation in
winter when compared to a shallow lake exposed to similar situations. The
effect of heat storage is to change the seasonal evaporation rates and the
annual evaporation remains more or less unaltered.
 Estimation / Measurement of Evaporation
 This is done by the following methods
o Using evaporimeters
o Using empirical equations
o By analytical methods
 Types of Evaporators
Evaporimeter
 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.

(1) USWB Class A Evaporation Pan

 A pan of diameter 1210mm and depth 255mm.
 Depth of water is maintained between 18 and 20cm.
 The pan is made of unpainted GI sheet.
 The pan is placed on a wooden platform of height 15cm above ground level to
allow free air circulation below the pan.
 Evaporation is measured by measuring the depth of water in a stilling well with a
hook gauge.
(2) ISI Standard Pan
 Specified by IS:5973 and known as the modified Class A Pan.
 A pan of diameter 1220mm and depth 255mm.
 The pan is made of copper sheet 0.9mm thick, tinned inside and painted white
outside.
 The pan is placed on a square wooden platform of width 1225mm and height
100mm above ground level to allow free air circulation below the pan.
 A fixed point gauge indicates the level of water.
 Water is added to or removed from the pan to maintain the water level at a fixed
mark using a calibrated cylindrical measure.
 The top of the pan is covered with a hexagonal wire net of GI to protect water in
the pan from birds.
 Presence of the wire mesh makes the temperature of water more uniform during
the day and night.
 Evaporation from this pan is about 14% lower as compared to that from an
unscreened pan.
(3) Colorado Sunken Pan
 920mm square pan made of unpainted GI sheet, 460mm deep, and buried into the
ground within 100mm of the top.
 Main advantage of this pan – its aerodynamic and radiation characteristics are
similar to that of a lake.
 Disadvantages – difficult to detect leaks, expensive to install, extra care is needed
to keep the surrounding area free from tall grass, dust etc.

(4) USGS Floating Pan

 A square pan of 900mm sides and 450mm deep.
 Supported by drum floats in the middle of a raft of size 4.25m x 4.87m, it is set
afloat in a lake with a view to simulate the characteristics of a large body of water.
 Water level in the pan is maintained at the same level as that in the lake, leaving a
rim of 75mm.
 Diagonal baffles are provided in the pan to reduce surging in the pan due to wave
action.
 Disadvantages – High cost of installation and maintenance, difficulty in making
measurements.
Evaporation Stations
 WMO recommends the following values of minimum density of evaporimeters Arid
Zones – 1 station for every 30,000 [Link].
 Humid Temperate Zones - 1 station for every 50,000 [Link].
 Cold regions - 1 station for every 1,00,000 [Link].
 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 etc.
THANK YOU