NDVI RELATIONSHIP TO MONTHLY EVAPORATION

Normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), calculated from Lands at-MSS images, were correlated with monthly total precipitation and es timates of monthly evaporation in a prairie environment. The highest v alue of the correlation coefficient (r =.80) was obtained between the monthly mean NDVI and estimated evaporation of the preceding month. Th e de-seasoned NDVI and evaporation values retained a correlation coeff icient of .53 corresponding to half of the originally explained varian ce (r(2) =.64) between NDVI and evaporation suggesting that NDVI indic es may be useful for estimating regional-scale evaporation in a water- limited environment.