Various methods are available to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ) from standard meteorological observations. The Penman-Monteith method is considered to be the most physical and reliable method and is often used as a standard to verify other empirical methods. This study estimates and compares the monthly ET 0 calculated by 3 methods at 580 Chinese stations over the last 50 yr. The Penman-Monteith method is used here as a reference, and its spatial and temporal differences with the Thornthwaite method and pan measurement are evaluated. The results show that:
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Chen et al. (2005) studied this question.
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