Evapotranspiration, which affects dry and wet conditions on Earth, was studied by observing a pasture field in 1978. The researchers separated evapotranspiration into soil water evaporation and plant canopy transpiration. They found that soil water evaporation accounted for 25.9% of total evapotranspiration, with pasture soil evaporating more than other crops. The study also showed that soil water evaporation occurred at night, even when condensation happened on pasture leaves, due to the canopy's insulating effect. Hourly variations in albedo (reflectivity) were important for understanding radiation balance.