Water evaporation from bare soil

Abstract

Evaporation of water emitted from soil surfaces is a key process of the hydrologic cycle and the surface energy balance. It can be limited by the solar energy to vaporize water, the amount of precipitation, the soil hydraulic properties and surface characteristics (albedo, roughness, and presence of residues). Evaporation rates are large for wet soil surfaces with high atmospheric demand (controlled by energy, vapor pressure deficit, and wind velocity) but become very small when the vapor is emitted below the surface and must diffuse through a dry soil layer.