Evapotranspiration in the Don River basin and its variability

Issues concerning the use of earlier developed technique of estimating evapotranspiration from the river basins using observational results from the network of water-and soil-evaporation stations are considered. Some parameters of the calculations and the technique itself are specified. The dynamics of basic elements of the underlying surface of the Don basin participating in the process of evaporation and runoff formation is estimated. It is shown that evapotranspiration and its interannual variability depend on tendencies towards changes in evaporation from the water and land surface, on the one hand, and changes in landscape characteristics, on the other hand. The work continues similar studies started under the leadership of V.S. Golubev in the Volga River basin.