Evapotranspiration and Water Use Mapping
Water is one of our most valuable natural resources and understanding how it’s used is essential for managing it wisely. Scientists at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center use satellite data to estimate how much water is lost from the land through evapotranspiration (ET)—the combined effect of evaporation from soil and water surfaces and transpiration from plants.
These ET estimates are generated using tested models developed at EROS, which combine remote sensing and weather data to provide detailed, reliable maps of water use across the United States. This information helps farmers, land managers, and policymakers make informed decisions about irrigation, drought response, and long-term water planning. Updated regularly, these tools support monitoring of seasonal patterns and long-term trends, helping identify areas of concern and guiding sustainable water management across farms, forests, and public lands.
Available Models
SSEBop model
The Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model developed at EROS estimates water use by plants in irrigated fields using thermal data from Landsat’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Terra satellite.
SSEBop combines rates of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants to return evapotranspiration (ET) readings that can help water managers decide how much water is needed throughout the growing season.
The model supports various aspects of the USGS Water Use Mission Area, including the National Water Use Science Project and the National Water Census, which releases a trove of water use information every five years.
EROS produces actual ET maps that depict monthly, seasonal cumulative, end of season and yearly anomalies for the conterminous United States, which are color-coded to depict rates above or below the median.
The maps are useful in determining irrigation needs, but also instructive of water use in different environment
The maps, data, product descriptions and helpful links are located online at the SSEBop website.
Download a poster
Evapotranspiration and Water Use poster
Eyes on Earth Episode 17 - Evapotranspiration
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we hear how scientists use satellites like Landsat to measure ET, and how those...
Water is one of our most valuable natural resources and understanding how it’s used is essential for managing it wisely. Scientists at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center use satellite data to estimate how much water is lost from the land through evapotranspiration (ET)—the combined effect of evaporation from soil and water surfaces and transpiration from plants.
These ET estimates are generated using tested models developed at EROS, which combine remote sensing and weather data to provide detailed, reliable maps of water use across the United States. This information helps farmers, land managers, and policymakers make informed decisions about irrigation, drought response, and long-term water planning. Updated regularly, these tools support monitoring of seasonal patterns and long-term trends, helping identify areas of concern and guiding sustainable water management across farms, forests, and public lands.
Available Models
SSEBop model
The Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model developed at EROS estimates water use by plants in irrigated fields using thermal data from Landsat’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Terra satellite.
SSEBop combines rates of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants to return evapotranspiration (ET) readings that can help water managers decide how much water is needed throughout the growing season.
The model supports various aspects of the USGS Water Use Mission Area, including the National Water Use Science Project and the National Water Census, which releases a trove of water use information every five years.
EROS produces actual ET maps that depict monthly, seasonal cumulative, end of season and yearly anomalies for the conterminous United States, which are color-coded to depict rates above or below the median.
The maps are useful in determining irrigation needs, but also instructive of water use in different environment
The maps, data, product descriptions and helpful links are located online at the SSEBop website.
Download a poster
Evapotranspiration and Water Use poster
Eyes on Earth Episode 17 - Evapotranspiration
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we hear how scientists use satellites like Landsat to measure ET, and how those...