Lake Evaporation and Evaluation of Seven Estimation Methods from Dickie Lake, South-Central Ontario, Canada: A Long Term Study

Abstract

For understanding lake evaporation, developing estimation techniques, and assessing the effects of evaporation change (caused by climate change or land use change) on water resources, long-term observations and field data are crucial. For the study and management of water resources and ecosystems, it has been essential to establish accurate calculation methods for lake evaporation. To the few long-term studies on lake evaporation, a 30-year dataset from Dickie Lake in south-central Ontario, Canada, was added. Based on field meteorology, hydrology, and lake water temperature data, seven evaporation methods were used to separately calculate evaporation during the ice-free season.  Using a lake energy budget model, the actual evaporation measured over a period of a year was estimated, and the estimation served as the reference evaporation for the evaluation of the seven methods. A performance ranking based on the root mean squared deviation and coefficient of efficiency was proposed after comparing the deviation of the seven methods' induced evaporation from the reference evaporation. The present study results have shown a similar energy budget pattern as other studies in similar climatic regions, and identified a performance rank for the evaporation calculation methods to be used for lakes in Canadian Shield.