Short-Wave Solar Radiation In The Earth's Atmosphere

by Melnikova, Irina N.; Vasilyev, Alexander V.

• ISBN13: 9783540214526
• ISBN10: 3540214526
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-10-16
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

Based on data from an experiment which ran for ten years, this book summarizes the results of the Atmospheric Physics Department of the St. Petersburg University and the Main Geophysical Observatory. The processed data now forms a rich dataset of spectral values of radiative characteristics under different atmospheric conditions. The analysis of this database clearly shows that the solar radiative absorption in a dusty and cloudy atmosphere is significantly higher than assumed to date. Both graduate students of atmospheric sciences as well as scientists and researchers in the field of meteorology and climatology will find a wealth of new data and information in this monograph.

Author Biography

Alexander V. Vasilyer is Associate Professor of the Physical Faculty, St. Petersburg State University.

Table of Contents

Solar Radiation in the Atmosphere	1	(44)
Characteristics of the Radiation Field in the Atmosphere	1	(9)
Interaction of the Radiation and the Atmosphere	10	(10)
Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere	20	(13)
Reflection of the Radiation from the Underlying Surface	33	(6)
Cloud impact on the Radiative Transfer	39	(6)
Theoretical Base of Solar Irradiance and Radiance Calculation in the Earth Atmosphere	45	(32)
Monte-Carlo Method for Solar Irradiance and Radiance Calculation	45	(12)
Analytical Method for Radiation Field Calculation in a Cloudy Atmosphere	57	(11)
The Basic Formulas	57	(2)
The Case of the Weak True Absorption of Solar Radiation	59	(3)
The Analytical Presentation of the Reflection Function	62	(2)
Diffused Radiation Field Within the Cloud Layer	64	(2)
The Case of the Conservative Scattering	66	(1)
Case of the Cloud Layer of an Arbitrary Optical Thickness	67	(1)
Calculation of Solar Irradiance and Radiance in the Case of the Multilayer Cloudiness	68	(2)
Uncertainties and Applicability Ranges of the Asymptotic Formulas	70	(3)
Conclusion	73	(4)
Spectral Measurements of Solar Irradiance and Radiance in Clear and Cloudy Atmospheres	77	(56)
Complex of Instruments for Spectral Measurements of Solar Irradiance and Radiance	77	(8)
Airborne Observation of Vertical Profiles of Solar Irradiance and Data Processing	85	(10)
Results of Irradiance Observation	95	(12)
Results of Airborne Observations Under Overcast Conditions	100	(2)
The Radiation Absorption in the Atmosphere	102	(5)
Results of Solar Radiance Observation. Spectral Reflection Characteristics of Ground Surface	107	(8)
The Problem of Excessive Absorption of Solar Short-Wave Radiation in Clouds	115	(7)
Review of Conceptions for the ``Excessive'' Cloud Absorption of Shortwave Radiation	116	(2)
Comparison of the Observational Results of the Shortwave Radiation Absorption for Different Airborne Experiments	118	(1)
Dependence of Shortwave Radiation Absorption upon Cloud Optical Thickness	118	(1)
Dependence of Shortwave Radiation Absorption upon Geographical Latitude and Solar Zenith Angle	119	(3)
Ground and Satellite Solar Radiance Observation in an Overcast Sky	122	(11)
Ground Observations	122	(2)
Satellite Observations	124	(9)
The Problem of Retrieving Atmospheric Parameters from Radiative Observations	133	(34)
Direct and Inverse Problems of Atmospheric Optics	133	(6)
The Least-Square Technique for Inverse Problem Solution	139	(9)
Accounting for Measurement Uncertainties and Regularization of the Solution	148	(10)
Selection of Retrieved Parameters in Short-Wave Spectral Ranges	158	(9)
Determination of Parameters of the Atmosphere and the Surface in a Clear Atmosphere	167	(38)
Problem statement. Standard calculations of Solar Irradiance	167	(13)
Calculation of Derivative from Values of Solar Irradiance	180	(12)
Results of the Retrieval of Parameters of the Atmosphere and the Surface	192	(13)
Analytical Method of Inverse Problem Solution for Cloudy Atmospheres	205	(32)
Single Scattering Albedo and Optical Thickness Retrieval from Data of Radiative Observation	205	(16)
Problem Solution in the Case of the Observations of the Characteristics of Solar Radiation at the Top and Bottom of the Cloud Optically Thick Layer	208	(2)
Problem Solution in the Case of Solar Radiation Observation Within the Cloud Layer of Large Optical Thickness	210	(3)
Problem Solution in the Case of Observations of Solar Radiation Reflected or Transmitted by the Cloud Layer	213	(4)
Inverse Problem Solution in the Case of the Cloud Layer of Arbitrary Optical Thickness	217	(1)
Inverse Problem Solution for the Case of Multilayer Cloudiness	218	(3)
Some Possibilities of Estimating of Cloud Parameters	221	(7)
The Case of Conservative Scattering	221	(2)
Estimation of Phase Function Parameter g	223	(3)
Parameterization of Cloud Horizontal Inhomogeneity	226	(2)
Analysis of Correctness and Stability of the Inverse Problem Solution	228	(9)
Uncertainties of Derived Formulas	229	(2)
The Applicability Region	231	(6)
Analysis of Radiative Observations in Cloudy Atmosphere	237	(22)
Optical Parameters of Status Cloudiness Retrieved from Airborne Radiative Experiments	237	(4)
Analysis of the Results of Radiation Observations in the Tropics	237	(3)
Analysis of the Results of Observations in the Middle Latitudes	240	(1)
Analysis of the Results of Observations Above Ladoga Lake	240	(1)
Analysis of the Results of Observations in the High Latitudes	241	(1)
Vertical Profile of Spectral Optical Parameters of Stratus Clouds	241	(2)
Optical Parameters of Stratus Cloudiness from Data of Ground and Satellite Observations	243	(6)
Data Processing of Ground Observations	244	(2)
Data Processing of Satellite Observations	246	(3)
General Analysis of Retrieved Parameters of Stratus Cloudiness	249	(2)
Single Scattering Albedo and Volume Absorption Coefficient	249	(1)
Optical Thickness τ0 and Volume Scattering Coefficient α	250	(1)
Influence of Multiple Light Scattering in Clouds on Radiation Absorption	251	(8)
Empirical Formulas for the Estimation of the Volume Scattering and Absorption Coefficients	251	(4)
Multiple Scattering of Radiation as a Reason for Anomalous Absorption of Radiation by Clouds in the Shortwave Spectral Region	255	(4)
Conclusion	259	(2)
Appendix A: Tables of Radiative Characteristics and Optical Parameters of the Atmosphere	261	(30)
Appendix B: Formulas Derivation	291	(4)
Index	295