The FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method was used to calculate the potential evapotranspiration (ET0) from 1960 to 2010 in 45 stations in Sichuan.Then the cloud model was firstly applied to analyze the temporal-spatial variation characteristics of ET0.Results showed that from 1960 to 2010,ET0has firstly decreased then increased after 2000.The temporal distribution of ET0 is dispersive in the four areas.The dispersion in Sichuan basin, mountainous areas around basin and southwestern mountain area is more stable than that in northwest plateau.The spatial distribution of ET0is more dispersive and unstable than the temporal distribution.The mean annual ET0in southwestern mountain area is highest, followed by northwest plateau,Sichuan basin and mountainous areas around basin.The spatial dispersion of ET0 has firstly enhanced,then weakened after 2000.The spatial dispersion of ET0from 1991 to 2010 is less stable than that from 1960 to 1990,but the stability has been enhanced after 2000.
