Next stop: Global VanderSat Evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration. If you have a scientific background in earth sciences, hydrology, agriculture or meteorology you probably know what it is and why it matters. If you do not have this background, we will not blame you for not knowing what it is. It's pretty complex.

Evapotranspiration is the term used to describe the part of the water cycle which removes liquid water from an area with vegetation and into the atmosphere by the processes of both transpiration and evaporation.

Evaporation occurs when liquid water is converted to water vapour and hence removed from a surface, such as a lake, soil or wet vegetation, into the air. Transpiration occurs when water in plant tissues is lost to the atmosphere, predominantly through the small opening in the leaves of plants and grasses called stomata.

By knowing the rate of water loss from a region farmers will be better placed to efficiently manage the available water for their crop. Also known as precision irrigation.

Quite simply because there is a need for it as current products often do not meet all the demands. We have demonstrated that VanderSat's current satellite observations like soil moisture, land surface temperature and vegetation optical depth add very important input for evapotranspiration products and will drastically improve these products. Our scientists have been working on this in close collaboration with Ghent University for some time now. Many validation studies have been done (for those who do not know: we have a VanderSat sensor network for these purposes on three continents). Also, our clients have clearly communicated that this would help them with their irrigation plans. You can check the Tongaat Hulett project as an example. We are aiming for a global service, just like our current product offering. A product you can trust, built on solid science and fully operational through our API and viewer.

You want a first glimpse? Here it is at a 20 meter resolution. But as always, at VanderSat we will to turn it into a fully operational product, with lots of observations so that our partners and customers can use it in their daily operations so they can save time, money and resources.