Water from field to atmosphere – how much really evaporates?
This UT FieldLab experiment falls under the theme Water cycle and climate. View all experiments related to this theme.
Introduction
How much water evaporates from a field into the air? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer is crucial for agriculture, nature management, and climate models. At this climate tower, we measure how water, energy, and carbon move between soil and atmosphere. Yijian Zeng: Earth’s water, energy, and carbon cycles are intricately coupled through soil-plant-atmosphere interactions that regulate climate and ecosystem dynamics. Climate extremes disrupts this coupling, with far-reaching societal implications.
What are we researching?
We aim to understand how soil moisture, temperature, and vegetation together determine the water and energy balance. How quickly does the soil dry out? How much water do crops use? And how does this affect the local climate? This knowledge supports robust strategies for water management and sustainable farming.
How does it work?
The tower is equipped with sensors that measure soil moisture and temperature down to 80 cm, plus a weather station that records rainfall, wind, radiation, and humidity. An eddy covariance system measures CO₂ exchange and heat fluxes. Together, these instruments map the full water and energy balance. The data feeds into computer models that simulate interactions between soil, plants, and atmosphere, improving drought predictions.
Why is this important?
By understanding how water moves through the landscape, we can make irrigation more efficient, agriculture more sustainable, and ecosystems more resilient. This is vital in an era of increasing drought and extreme weather.