evapotranspiration

evapo·trans·pi·ra·tion | \ i-ˈva-pō-ˌtran(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən

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Definition of evapotranspiration

: loss of water from the soil both by evaporation and by transpiration from the plants growing thereon

Examples of evapotranspiration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Research suggests that the phenomenon is broadly the result of less evapotranspiration—that’s when water evaporates from plants or soil into the atmosphere, cooling the air—in cities, compared with their surrounding environments. — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, "Urban Heat Islands Mean Warming Will Be Worse in Cities," 21 Nov. 2019 The technical term for release of moisture from both the soil and the crops themselves is evapotranspiration. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, ""Corn sweat" makes heat wave even more dangerous," 22 July 2019 Trees in particular offer lots of shade and, through a process called evapotranspiration, use energy from the sun to evaporate water within their leaves. — The Economist, "Heatwaves like that being experienced in America are more dangerous in cities," 21 July 2019 Warmer temperatures dry out soil faster, a phenomenon called evapotranspiration. — John F. Ross, WSJ, "The Prophet of the Dust Bowl," 14 June 2018 Current standards for measuring water stress fall primarily into evapotranspiration models and soil moisture sensing. — Nathan Hurst, Smithsonian, "This Snap-On Sensor Could Tell Farmers Exactly How Much To Water Their Crops," 27 Sep. 2017 Trees promote cooling by providing shade to streets and buildings and through a process called evapotranspiration, which disperses moisture in the atmosphere. — Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, "Cities turn to trees to beat the heat," 25 July 2017 For example, the most advanced irrigation systems receive signals from local weather stations calculating evapotranspiration (the amount of water lost to the atmosphere) by monitoring temperature, solar radiation, humidity and wind velocity. — National Geographic, "Navigating the Water Crisis," 21 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evapotranspiration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Evapotranspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evapotranspiration. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.

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