Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID CO_2025_CABOT

Innovative Extreme Conditions Generation for METRIC Application Using UAS Imagery: Enhancing Evapotranspiration Estimation in Diverse Environments

Institute: Colorado
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $9,988 Total Non-Federal Funds: $9,988

Principal Investigators: Perry Cabot

Project Summary: Accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETa) is crucial for water resource management, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation. Remote sensing offers a cost-effective alternative to ground-based methods, with the METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration) model widely adopted for ETa estimation. METRIC depends on identifying extreme hot and cold pixels to calibrate surface energy balance, but reliable selection remains difficult in heterogeneous landscapes. This challenge intensifies with a modified Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)-based METRIC model, which provides high-resolution imagery but limited surface area for representative pixel selection. To address this, the study develops artificial extreme-like pixel conditions by integrating vegetation indices, soil properties, land cover, and microclimate factors, especially refining cold pixel representation. UAS flights across western Colorado, supported by ground measurements, enable testing across diverse crops and field types. Results will improve ETa estimation (mm/day), enhance agricultural planning, and strengthen conservation program evaluation in drought-prone regions.