Temperature variation in a class A evaporation pan

The thermal behaviour of a class A evaporation pan has been studied by doing an outdoor experiment and by modelling the energy budget of the pan in detail. The observations showed that the temperature of the water remains more or less homogeneous throughout the daily cycle. This means that the water inside the pan is well mixed. This characteristic thermal behaviour was observed even under low wind (u(0.5 m) < 2.0 m s(-1)) conditions. The one-dimensional model simulations agreed well with the experimental evidence. However, in the model simulations corrections had to be carried out for the turbulence generated by the pan itself and in particular by the rim of the pan. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.