TERMS (WATER BALANCE)

Really Definitely

ACTUAL

1. Actual evapotranspiration (AET): the loss

of moisture to the atmosphere by the processes
of evapotration and transpiration which
actually takes place.
Possible likely

POTENTIAL maybe

2. Potential evapotranspiration (PET): the

maximum amount of evapotranspiration which
occur if an adequate supply of water were
continuously available. (In Desert PET >AET
amount of water is limited)
 SURPLUS
Extra Excess

3. Soil moisture surplus: occurs when the soil

water store is full and thus there is surplus of
water for plants, runoff and groundwater
recharge. (PP>PET)
used

UTILISE

4. Soil moisture utilisation: Plants (and

people) use moisture stored in the soil, leaving
it depleted. (AET >PP)
shortage Scare
Lack
deficit

DEFICIENCY

5. Soil moisture deficiency: Equivalent to the

extra water which would be needed to
maintain maximum plant growth. There is
little or no water available for plant growth
(irrigation could make good this deficit) (PET
> AET)
Fill up again

RECHARGED

6. Soil moisture recharge: The soil water store

starts to fill again after a period of deficiency
Ability

CAPACITY

7. Field capacity: The moisture a freely

drained soil can hold after all free or gravity
water has drained away. Such moisture is held
by tension around soil particles, mainly as
capillary water.