Concerning the Effect of Anisotropic Scattering and Finite Depth on the Distribution of Solar Radiation in Snow

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Barkstrom, Bruce R., Querfeld, Charles W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1975
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Forward Peak; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000013447; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000013447

It is shown that anisotropic scattering with a strong forward peak can give reasonable agreement with angular reflectance data for snow. As a result of the forward peak, solar radiation penetrates deeper into the medium, when measured in terms of photon mean free paths, than it does for isotropic scattering. The radiation transmitted directly through finite slabs can be seen to an optical depth of seven, and decreases much more rapidly with optical depth than does the diffusely transmitted (scattered) radiation.