The possibility of using infrared surface temperatures from satellites (NOAA, GOES) for inferring daily evaporation and soil moisture distribution over large areas (102 to 105 km2) has been extensively studied during the past few years. The methods are based upon analysis of the surface energy budget, but treating surface transfers as over bare soils. In this context, we have developed a methodology using infrared surface data (from NOAA-7) as input data, in a one-dimensional boundary layer/vegetation/soil model, including a parameterization of transfers within the canopy, based on the formalism of Deardorff which allows the use of a small number of mesoscale surface vegetation parameters. As shown from the model sensitivity tests, a single surface temperature measured near midday (provided by NOAA-7) is sufficient for obtaining the surface energy fluxes over dense vegetation and for deriving the only governing parameter that remains, the bulk canopy resistance to evaporation, a different concept... Abstract The possibility of using infrared surface temperatures from satellites (NOAA, GOES) for inferring daily evaporation and soil moisture distribution over large areas (102 to 105 km2) has been extensively studied during the past few years. The methods are based upon analysis of the surface energy budget, but treating surface transfers as over bare soils. In this context, we have developed a methodology using infrared surface data (from NOAA-7) as input data, in a one-dimensional boundary layer/vegetation/soil model, including a parameterization of transfers within the canopy, based on the formalism of Deardorff which allows the use of a small number of mesoscale surface vegetation parameters. As shown from the model sensitivity tests, a single surface temperature measured near midday (provided by NOAA-7) is sufficient for obtaining the surface energy fluxes over dense vegetation and for deriving the only governing parameter that remains, the bulk canopy resistance to evaporation, a different concept...