Sub-daily actual evapotranspiration data for 45 monitoring sites (2014-2024) [COSMOS-UK]
https://doi.org/10.5285/c0b5caf4-c14a-49e8-a720-2401c8d3d135
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This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
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This dataset provides derived measurements of land-atmosphere energy and water exchanges from selected COSMOS-UK environmental monitoring sites across the United Kingdom, collected between 2014 and 2024. It contains estimates of sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), and evapotranspiration (ET), alongside supporting hydrometeorological and soil physics variables, enabling detailed analysis of surface energy balance and water fluxes.
The data cover 45 COSMOS-UK sites, where a 3D sonic anemometer is installed and operational, mobile telemetry is available, and no relevant instrumentation or telemetry faults are present. These sites are distributed across a range of UK land cover types, supporting regional and cross-site comparison of land-atmosphere processes.
Measurements are provided at sub-daily resolution, with evapotranspiration and associated variables calculated at 30-minute intervals. The dataset spans the operational periods of eligible sites and takes into account changes in site configuration and land use over time.
Fluxes are derived from high-frequency (20 Hz) wind component and sonic temperature measurements using specialist processing software (EddyPro Software v7.0.9, LI-COR Biosciences). The dataset includes site metadata, flux and ancillary variables (both quality-controlled and non-quality-controlled), dynamic metadata documenting instrumentation and land cover changes, and a dictionary describing all variables.
These data support applications such as evaluating and driving land-surface and hydrological models, comparing observations across sites and networks, and improving understanding of land-atmosphere interactions relevant to floods, droughts, and water balance studies.
The data cover 45 COSMOS-UK sites, where a 3D sonic anemometer is installed and operational, mobile telemetry is available, and no relevant instrumentation or telemetry faults are present. These sites are distributed across a range of UK land cover types, supporting regional and cross-site comparison of land-atmosphere processes.
Measurements are provided at sub-daily resolution, with evapotranspiration and associated variables calculated at 30-minute intervals. The dataset spans the operational periods of eligible sites and takes into account changes in site configuration and land use over time.
Fluxes are derived from high-frequency (20 Hz) wind component and sonic temperature measurements using specialist processing software (EddyPro Software v7.0.9, LI-COR Biosciences). The dataset includes site metadata, flux and ancillary variables (both quality-controlled and non-quality-controlled), dynamic metadata documenting instrumentation and land cover changes, and a dictionary describing all variables.
These data support applications such as evaluating and driving land-surface and hydrological models, comparing observations across sites and networks, and improving understanding of land-atmosphere interactions relevant to floods, droughts, and water balance studies.
Publication date: 2026-03-10
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Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84
Temporal information
Temporal extent
2014-01-01 to 2024-12-31
Provenance & quality
Land-atmosphere exchange (flux) data are derived at selected COSMOS-UK sites equipped with a 3D sonic anemometer measuring three-dimensional wind components and sonic temperature at high frequency (20 Hz). These instruments operate alongside the standard COSMOS-UK hydrometeorological and soil monitoring sensors.
These high-frequency sonic anemometer data are transmitted to UKCEH every hour via mobile telemetry. The raw 20 Hz measurements are processed using specialist flux-processing software (EddyPro Software v7.0.9, LI-COR Biosciences) to provide 30-minute averages of sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, evapotranspiration, and associated ancillary variables. Simple quality control procedures are applied to identify any obvious issues in the processed data. Both non-quality-controlled variables and a subset of quality-controlled variables are provided to allow users to assess data quality and suitability for specific applications. Dynamic metadata are maintained to record changes in site and sensor characteristics, including land cover and anemometer configuration, that may influence flux estimates. Raw data files are backed-up within UKCEH's IT infrastructure, and all processed data are saved in an Oracle database.
These high-frequency sonic anemometer data are transmitted to UKCEH every hour via mobile telemetry. The raw 20 Hz measurements are processed using specialist flux-processing software (EddyPro Software v7.0.9, LI-COR Biosciences) to provide 30-minute averages of sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, evapotranspiration, and associated ancillary variables. Simple quality control procedures are applied to identify any obvious issues in the processed data. Both non-quality-controlled variables and a subset of quality-controlled variables are provided to allow users to assess data quality and suitability for specific applications. Dynamic metadata are maintained to record changes in site and sensor characteristics, including land cover and anemometer configuration, that may influence flux estimates. Raw data files are backed-up within UKCEH's IT infrastructure, and all processed data are saved in an Oracle database.
Licensing and constraints
This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
Cite this dataset as:
Cooper, H.M.; Crowhurst, D.; Cumming, A.M.J.; Evans, J.G.; Howson, T.; Morrison, R.; Retter, A.; Smith, R.J.; Stanley, S.; Vincent, P.; Fry, M. (2026). Sub-daily actual evapotranspiration data for 45 monitoring sites (2014-2024) [COSMOS-UK]. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/c0b5caf4-c14a-49e8-a720-2401c8d3d135
Related
Correspondence/contact details
Other contacts
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Additional metadata
Keywords
Climate and climate change , climate change , COSMOS-UK , dew-point temperature , drought , eddy covariance , energy , evaporation , evapotranspiration , flood , heat flux , hydrologic balance , hydrologic cycle , hydrology , Hydrology , latent heat , meteorology , micrometeorology , momentum flux , radiation , sensible heat , Soil , vapour pressure , wind
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/Y006208/1
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/S016244/1 and NE/S016244/2
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/S016244/1 and NE/S016244/2