Use of satellite data to estimate radiation and evaporation for northwest Mexico

Incoming solar radiation was estimated from visible band data obtained by t he GOES satellite over northwest Mexico. Comparisons against ground-based m easurements of incoming solar radiation showed good agreement, particularly in months with low cloud cover. The data from an automatic weather station installed within the Yaqui Valley Irrigation Scheme was used to estimate p otential evaporation from a formula based on incoming solar radiation and c limatological values of temperature. The success of this formula was assess ed by comparison against potential evaporation estimated using the Penman a nd Penman-Monteith formulae and measurements of net radiation. (C) 1999 Els evier Science. B.V. All rights reserved.