Estimation of the pan evaporation coefficient in semi-arid climate conditions via machines learning models

In this study, class A pan coefficient (KPan) values were simulated via five machine learning models, namely the ANN, the AAN-REPTree, the ANN-SMO SVM, the ANN-Linear regression, and the ANN-Bagging model, by using daily meteorological data of the meteorological station of Ouled Ben Abdelkader region, which has semi-arid microclimate in the northwest region of Algeria. To determine the optimal combination of inputs, a variety of input-target pairs were tested by a variety of machine learning models, resulting in seven possible input scenarios: Tmean, RHmin, RHmax and Wind Speed were found to be the best input combinations. The results of models were analyzed (i.e., correlation coefficient (R), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), relative absolute error (RAE), root relative squared error (RRSE)) to find their accuracy. As the best optimal condition, four input variables were introduced for the models ANN, ANN-REPTree, ANN-SMO SVM, ANN-Linear regression, and ANN-Bagging, with R = 0.9941 and 0.984, MAE = 0.0018 and 0.0037, RMSE = 0.0068 and 0.0016, RAE = 3.8863 and 7.6858, and RRSE = 10.9301 and 18.0686 in the training and testing phases, respectively. This hybrid model (ANN-Bagging) has demonstrated its utility in a scenario where there is a strong connection among the variables which includes KPan, and its feasibility to display the model in a feasible state. © The Author(s) 2025.