PET_PU_3H025: Global 3-Hourly Potential Evapotranspiration Estimates

Version 2 of the Princeton University MEaSUREs dataset provides 33 years of global potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimates at a 3-hourly temporal and 0.25x0.25 degree spatial resolution. It calculates PET using three established methods—Penman, Priestley-Taylor, and FAO—based on combined reanalysis, satellite, and gauge data for surface meteorology and radiation. This dataset is designed to reduce errors in input forcing and support diverse research in hydrology and climate science.

Use Cases

• Comparing the sensitivity of different PET calculation methods (Penman, PT, FAO) for hydrological model calibration.
• Analyzing trends in atmospheric water demand over a 33-year period using 3-hourly global grids.
• Validating land surface model outputs against observationally-constrained PET estimates.
• Assessing irrigation requirements and crop water stress using the FAO reference crop evapotranspiration data.
• Studying the diurnal phase of energy fluxes, supported by the estimated ground heat flux.

Strengths

• Provides a 33-year global time series, enabling long-term trend analysis.
• Offers three distinct PET calculation methods (Penman, PT, FAO) for methodological comparison.
• Uses a multi-source blend (reanalysis, satellite, gauges) to reduce error in meteorological forcing.
• Has high temporal resolution (3-hourly) for analyzing diurnal cycles.

Limitations

• Specific column names and the exact start year of the 33-year period are not provided in the available metadata.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date between sources (2026-04-09 and 2016-12 31), casting doubt on metadata freshness.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified', requiring users to seek out precise terms.

Provenance

Source

Princeton University MEaSUREs project, distributed by NASA GES DISC.

Collection Method

Derived from a combination of reanalysis, satellite, and gridded gauge data.

Time Range

33 years (exact start and end years not specified)

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:59:51.617617

Geography

Global at 0.25x0.25 degree resolution.