资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Model‐based estimates of soil moisture (SM) – evapotranspiration (ET) coupling strength (ρ) vary widely and are prone to bias. Here we apply numerical modeling and remote sensing to identify the process‐level source of modeled ρ bias with the goal of improving the fidelity of current Earth system models. Results illustrate that modeled ρ is most strongly determined by soil evaporation (E) stress, and (generally positive) ρ modeling bias is attributable to the oversimplification of soil texture impacts on E stress. Based on new remotely sensed estimates of ρ, we demonstrate that removing ρ bias via a single optimized E stress parameter leads to improved ET accuracy and resolves a well‐known modeling bias in the partitioning of ET into E and T. As such, we highlight the importance of the stress function relating E and SM, and its central role in regulating land‐atmosphere coupling processes impacting local climate.