Modelling daily net radiation of open water surfaces using land-based meteorological data

Accurate quantification of net irradiance of open water (Rn water) is of paramount importance for the estimation of open water evaporation, which is critical for the efficient management of water resources. Alternatively, model estimates of Rn water are often used when quality measurements of Rn water are not readily available for the water storage of interest. A Daily Penman, Monteith, Equilibrium Temperature Hargreaves-Samani (DPMETHS) model has been developed for the estimation of Rn water using land-based meteorological data. The DPMETHS model is a spreadsheet-based iterative procedure that computes Rn water using daily land-based meteorological measurements of solar irradiance (Rs land), minimum and maximum air temperatures (Tmin and Tmax), minimum and maximum relative humidity (RHmin and RHmax) and average wind speed (Uland). In this study, the DPMETHS model was evaluated using daily Rn water in-situ measurements acquired from 5 sites in both hemispheres, representing very different climatic conditions. Results showed reasonable model performance at all 5 sites, with the coefficient of determination (r2) values greater than 0.85 and root mean square error (RMSE) values ranging from 0.60 MJ∙m-2 for Stratus Ocean (East Pacific Ocean) to 1.89 MJ∙m-2 for Midmar Dam (South Africa). The results of this study suggested that the DPMETHS model can be reliably used to estimate Rn water for a wide range of climatic conditions. The performance of the DPMETHS model depends on the representativeness of the land-based meteorological data to the weather conditions above the open water surface. The DPMETHS model is user-friendly with minimal computational and data requirements that allows easy data handling and visual inspection.