The definitions of potential and reference evapotranspiration may vary according to the scientific application and can have the same definition in some cases. Users should therefore ensure that the definition of this parameter is suitable for their application.
Please note that to give more flexibility to users, PEV in ERA5 and ERA5Land are not computed in the same way:
- ERA5: the definition of PEV in ERA5 is computed for agricultural land as if it is well watered (no soil moisture stress) and assuming that the atmosphere is not affected by this artificial surface condition.
- ERA5Land: the definition of PEV in ERA5Land is computed as an open water evaporation (Pan evaporation) and assuming that the atmosphere is not affected by this artificial surface condition.