Equilibrium temperatures of water surfaces as related to air temperature and solar radiation

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Abstract
Equilibrium temperature Te is the water surface temperature at which net energy exchange to the atmosphere is zero. Since heat loss rate is a function of (Tw − Te), where Tw is the actual water surface temperature, the concept of equilibrium temperature is useful in predicting water temperatures. By selecting a set of equations to describe the heat exchange processes at the surface, one can produce curves of heat exchange rate (excluding shortwave radiation) versus (Tw − Ta), where Ta is air temperature. These curves can be approximated by linear functions. The slopes q and intercepts Qo of these curves are in turn linear functions of wind speed for a specified set of weather conditions (clear and low humidity or cloudy and high humidity). Specifying these weather conditions, wind speed, air temperature, and net incoming solar radiation QR, one can calculate q and Qo and compute the equilibrium temperature as Te = [(QR − Qo)/q[ + Ta. This relation provides a simple yet general means of calculating Te and can be used to investigate time variations of Tw in response to meteorologic conditions.

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