Gridded average evapotranspiration metadata

Dataset

Title Mean monthly and mean annual evapotranspiration data (base climatological data sets)

Custodian

Custodian Bureau of Meteorology
Jurisdiction Australia

Description

Abstract Mean monthly and mean annual areal actual, areal potential and point potential evapotranspiration grids. 
The grids show the evapotranspiration values across Australia in the form of two-dimensional array data. 
The mean data are based on the standard 30-year period 1961-1990. 
See LINEAGE below for more information.
Search Word(s) Gridded, spline, analyses, climatology, evapotranspiration, hydrology, meteorology
Geographic Extent Names(s) Australia
General Category Gridded climatological data
General Custodian Jurisdiction Australian Government
Australia
Geographic Extent Polygon Not applicable
Geographic Bounding Box See below
North Bounding Latitude -10.1
South Bounding Latitude -43.8
East Bounding Longitude 153.85
West Bounding Longitude 112.15

Data Currency

Beginning Date 1961
Ending Date 1990

Dataset Status

Progress Completed
Maintenance and
Update frequency
Ongoing

Access

Stored Data Format Arc/InfoTM grids - all Australia
Available Format Type ASCII grid-point, Arc/InfoTM grid Interchange (.e00),Shapefiles.
Access Constraint Please note that the copyright for any data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology is held in the Commonwealth of Australia and the purchaser shall give acknowledgement of the source in reference to the data. Apart from dealings under the Copyright Act 1968, the purchaser shall not reproduce (electronically or otherwise), modify or supply (by sale or otherwise) these data without written permission from the supplier.  Please contact us (see details below) for more information.

Data Quality

Lineage

Gridded data were generated using the ANU (Australian National University) 3-D Spline (surface fitting algorithm). The grid point resolution of the data is 0.1 degrees ( approximately 10km).

As part of the 3-D analysis process a 0.1 degree resolution digital elevation model (DEM) was used. Approximately 700 stations were used in the analysis, and all input station data underwent a high degree of quality control before analysis, and conform to WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) standards for data quality.

Areal Actual ET is the ET that actually takes place, under the condition of existing water supply, from an area so large that the effects of any upwind boundary transitions are negligible and local variations are integrated to an areal average.

Areal Potential ET is the ET that would take place, under the condition of unlimited water supply, from an area so large that the effects of any upwind boundary transitions are negligible and local variations are integrated to an areal average.

Point Potential ET is the ET that would take place, under the condition of unlimited water supply, from an area so small that the local ET effects do not alter local airmass properties. It is assumed that latent and sensible heat transfers within the height of measurement are through convection only.

The above definitions are based on those given by Morton (1983), but we have used the term areal potential ET for Mortons wet-environment ET and the term point potential ET for Mortons potential ET.

Morton, F.I. (1983). Operational estimates of areal evapotranspiration and their significance to the science and practice of hydrology. Journal of Hydrology, 66: 1-76.
Positional Accuracy The observational (station) data on which the analyses were based have an associated accuracy of the order of 0.01 degrees (approximately 1km) or better.
Attribute Accuracy Grid point data are post-processed. 
For more information (metadata) on observing stations please contact us.
Logical Consistency Not applicable
Completeness No missing data

Contact Information

Contact Organisation Bureau of Meteorology
Contact Position Climate Data Services
Mail Address PO BOX 1289, Melbourne 3001, Australia
Locality  
State Victoria
Country Australia
Postcode 3001
Telephone (03) 9669 4082
Facsimile (03) 9669 4515
Electronic Mail climatedata@bom.gov.au

Metadata date

Metadata date 2005
Additional Metadata Additional information available on request (see contact above).
Page updated: 3 October 2011

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