Modelling actual evapotranspiration using a two source energy balance model with Sentinel imagery in herbaceous-free and herbaceous-cover Mediterranean olive orchards

Precipitation deficit and more extreme drought precipitation events are expected to increase in the Mediterranean region due global warming. A great part of this is covered by olive orchards, representing 97.5% world's agricultural area. Thus, adaptation cultivation demands climate-smart management, such as optimization water use efficiency, since evapotranspiration one most important components balance. The novelty work combination remote sensing data fusion Two Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model (through Sentinel-2 Sentinel-3 imagery) estimate actual daily (ETd), at high spatial (20 m) temporal (daily) resolution, an orchard under two management regimes: herbaceous free (HF) herbaceous-cover (HC); along a three years period, based on hypothesis that TSEB still able track over complex canopies. study was carried out from 2016 2019 South Spain, where flux estimates were validated assessed situ eddy covariance (EC) measurements. results show better agreement HC for net radiation (Rn) soil heat (G), but similar both surfaces regarding sensible (H) latent (λE) fluxes, well ETd. On greater differences obtained higher H, magnitude overestimation λE ETd influenced EC energy imbalance. By contrast, G overestimated with probably herbs, equally underestimated HF surfaces. studies tree crop consistency used methodology its usefulness some farming activities, even heterogeneous surface.