ChinaEpan0.05°: a high-resolution gridded dataset for continuous daily D20 and E601 pan evaporation across China (1960–2024)

This dataset presents continuous daily gridded data of D20 and E601 pan evaporation (Epan) at 0.05° spatial resolution across China from 1960 to 2024. Based on observations from 2479 meteorological stations, the dataset addresses severe data gaps (29.92% for D20 and 91.12% for E601) using a hierarchical interpolation strategy (for D20) and an innovative three-stage framework (for E601), combined with Gaussian process regression for scale conversion. Validation shows reliable accuracy: D20 (RMSE=1.08 mm d-1, R2=0.77) and E601 (RMSE=0.68 mm d-1, R2=0.70), effectively capturing spatial heterogeneity of Epan in China. The dataset fills a critical gap in long-term continuous daily Epan data, providing essential inputs for hydrological cycle research under climate change. It contains 47,484 files (23,742 for D20 and 23,742 for E601), named as "d20_year_month_day.tif", such as "d20_19610101.tif".