Bushland Evapotranspiration and Agricultural Remote Sensing System (BEARS).

High resolution daily evapotranspiration (ET) maps would greatly assist irrigation scheduling and hydrologic modeling. Numerous remote sensing-based ET algorithms that vary in complexity are available for estimating spatially and temporally variable daily ET at a regional scale. However, implementation of these algorithms for deriving ET maps on a daily basis requires high level remote sensing expertise and expensive specialized software. In this study, we will present the Bushland Evapotranspiration and Agricultural Remote sensing System (BEARS), a standalone application developed using the Java Programming Language for deriving ET maps from Landsat TM/ETM+ data. This is a collaborative project between USDA-ARS (Bushland), Texas AgriLife Research (Amarillo) and Extension (Lubbock), and Kansas State University that would bring us one step closer to implementation of an operational ET remote sensing program for irrigation scheduling purposes. Users will have the option of selecting one of the five energy balance based ET methods: Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC), Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), SEBS (Surface Energy Balance System), Two Source Model (TSM), and Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) for deriving ET maps interactively or in a batch mode. Other capabilities of the BEARS includes spatial interpolation of selected climatic variables and reference ET maps using point datasets, accuracy assessment of interpolated maps, and numerous GIS techniques for managing remote sensing data and ET maps. At present, efforts being made to include capabilities for deriving ET maps from MODIS datasets. The BEARS was designed to be used by the extension personnel with minimal background in remote sensing. This package can also be used by climate change and watershed modelers to develop historical ET database at a regional scale for accurately predicting spatially variable water budget.