Environmental Thematic Maps and Graphics:
Average annual evapotranspiration, by ecoprovince, 1979 to 2016

The title of this map is “Average annual evapotranspiration, by ecoprovince, 1979 to 2016.” This map provides a visual representation of the average evapotranspiration across Canada.

On the page, there is one large map of Canada, a legend to the upper right and a scale bar below. The map delineates ecoprovinces with a thin black boundary line and ecoprovinces are labeled with a code. Fine black dashed lines show provincial and territorial boundaries. Below the map, ecoprovince codes and their corresponding names are listed for reference.

The map shows varying amounts of average annual evapotranspiration symbolized in different shades of green to blue. The darker the colour, the higher the value.

The unit of measurement is millimetres (mm). The legend contains five categories: 400 to less than 600 (navy blue), 300 to less than 400 (blue), 200 to less than 300 (turquoise), 100 to less than 200 (light lime green) and 0 to less than 100 (white).

The map shows that generally, average evapotranspiration is highest in southern Canada—though it is more limited in the Central Grasslands ecoprovince on the Prairies—becoming progressively lower in northern Canada.

Notes: Evapotranspiration is the process of evaporation from land surfaces and transpiration from plants. It is controlled by surface water availability and by meteorological variables such as net solar radiation, air temperature, humidity and wind speed.

Sources:
Wang, S., et al., 2014, “Assessment of water budget for sixteen large drainage basins in Canada,” Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 512, pp. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.02.058 (accessed December 11, 2020);
Wang, S., Y. Yang, Y. Luo and A. Rivera, 2013, “Spatial and seasonal variations in evapotranspiration over Canada's landmass,” Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 3561-3575, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3561-2013 (accessed December 1, 2020).