Estimates of Monthly and Annual Evaporation Rates and Evaporated Volumes Per Unit Time in the Tucuruí-Pa and Lajeado-to Hydroelectric Power Plant Reservoirs Based on Different Methods

Abstract

Evaporation rates in reservoirs influence the volume of water available for multiple uses. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate the evaporation rates and the evaporated volumes per unit time in the Tucuruí-PA and Lajeado-TO reservoirs based on the methods in Linacre (1993), Kohler et al. (1955), Morton (1983), Bruin & Keijman (1979) and Penman (1948) method was adopted as the standard. The mean annual evaporation rates in the Tucuruí and Lajeado reservoirs, estimated by the Penman method, were similar, with values of 1,784 mm and 1,882 mm, respectively. None of the alternative analyzed methods could be used to estimate the mean annual evaporation in the Tucuruí and Lajeado reservoirs and could not replace the Penman method. However, the Linacre (1993) and Bruin & Keijman (1979) methods could be used to estimate monthly evaporation during the dry season in Tucuruí. The mean evaporated volume per unit time and the mean net evaporated volume per unit time in the Tucuruí reservoir correspond to 120% and 50%, respectively, of the total water demand in the Tocantins-Araguaia region, while the mean evaporated volume per unit time and the mean net evaporated volume per unit time in the Lajeado reservoir correspond to 120% and 50%, respectively, of the total water demand in the basin. Zhao D, Liu J (2015) A new approach to assessing the water footprint of hydroelectric power based on allocation of water footprints among reservoir ecosystem services.