Brief Introduction of A Book

The book, Retrieval and Analysis of Evapotranspiration in Central Areas of Asia, written by Professor CHEN Xi et al., from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published by China Meteorological Press in February 2012.

The study area of this book includes five Central Asian countries, i.e. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, and the arid area of Northwest China. Central Asia has the most spectacular mountains and famous basins in the temperate zone, with vast area of arid deserts and interweaving valleys and oases at their feet. In Central Asia, the mountains are mainly comprised of Tianshan Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, Altay Mountains, Qilian Mountains and Gissar–Alai Mountains, and the large basins mainly contain Junggar Basin, Tarim Basin, Turpan–Hami Basin, Hexi Corridor, Fergana Basin and Turan Plain. Situated in the hinterland of the Eurasian Continent, the Central Asia has an arid and semi-arid temperate continental climate. The study area possesses vast inland drainage area, mainly including inland rivers and inland lakes. The rivers in Central Asia mainly contain Irtysh River, Tarim River, Amu Darya River, Syr Darya River and Heihe River, and the large lakes are mainly comprised of Bosten Lake, Ebinur Lake, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Sailimu Lake and Lop Nur.

Based on the theory of evapotranspiration (ET), the observation data in situ and multisource remote sensing data, this book provided the methodology of ET computations from the levels of leaf, canopy, community, drainage area and regional scale for the arid area. The book consists of eight chapters, including: 1) geographical characteristics of arid region in Central Asia; 2) theory and methodology of ET measurements; 3) ET experiments and models on the scales of leaf, canopy, and pixel; 4) remotely sensed ET models on regional scale; 5) ET computations in arid regions of Central Asia; 6) spatial patterns and temporal processes of ET changes in Central Asia; 7) concluding remarks.

With plentiful contents and accurate data, this book provides a good reference for scientists, teachers, students and managers who are engaged in research on geography, water resources, climatology, soils, agriculture and animal husbandry.