Incorporation of Net Radiation Model Considering Complex Terrain in Evapotranspiration Determination with Sentinel-2 Data

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the primary mechanism of water transformation between the land surface and atmosphere. Accurate ET estimation given complex terrain conditions is essential to guide water resource management in mountainous areas. This study is based on the ETWatch model driven by Sentinel-2 remote sensing data at a spatial resolution of 10 m incorporating a net radiation model considering the impact of a complex terrain. We tested our model with two years of data in two regions with a high relief near the Huairou (2020) and Baotianman (2019) weather stations. Regarding the validation results of the ET model, the coefficient of determination (R2) reached 0.84 in Huairou and 0.86 in Baotianman, while the root mean square error (RMSE) value reached 0.59 mm in Baotianman and 0.82 mm in Huairou. The validation results indicated that the model is applicable in regions with a complex terrain, and the ET results can capture topographic textures. In terms of the slope aspect, the ET value on south-facing slopes is higher than that on north-facing slopes in both study areas. Accurate ET monitoring in mountainous regions with a high relief yields a profound meaning in obtaining a better understanding of the characteristics of heat and water fluxes at different vegetation growth stages and underlying surface types, which can provide constructive suggestions for water management in mountainous areas.