ABSTRACT
Because of difficulties in applying the solar energy balance method of measuring evaporation from soil surfaces, an investigation into the method has been made. The main difficulties are:
Comparisons of evaporation estimated by energy balance with corresponding soil water balances have shown that the energy balance method overestimates evaporation.
The method assumes that solar energy that heats the soil detracts from energy available to produce evaporation.
The energy balance equation does not predict nocturnal evaporation or inefficiencies in converting energy into evaporation.
The paper briefly addresses these difficulties.
