Spectral and Spatial Variability of Solar Irradiance in the North Atlantic
A model to predict the monthly solar irradiance incident at the ocean surface has been developed at seven wavelengths across the visible spectrum (390,440,490,540,590,640, and 690 nm). The model incorporates specific monthly climatological databases of aerosols, ozone, and percent cloud cover derive...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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1992
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| Online Access: | http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA268329 http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA268329 |
| Summary: | A model to predict the monthly solar irradiance incident at the ocean surface has been developed at seven wavelengths across the visible spectrum (390,440,490,540,590,640, and 690 nm). The model incorporates specific monthly climatological databases of aerosols, ozone, and percent cloud cover derived from satellite observation for the North Atlantic from May 1979. The variations in the spectral irradiance fields in the North Atlantic are shown to be highly spatially variable in small scales (<100 km) in addition to being spectrally different. The irradiance distribution is dependent on the spectral characteristics of the transmittance parameters, and also on the small scale variability of the climatological data. The model indicates that the Raleigh and aerosol transmittance has a pronounced affect on the spectral irradiance while the magnitude of the irradiance is controlled primarily by percent cloud cover and aerosol transmittance. The general trend in the North Atlantic indicated that the spectral irradiance intensity is similar to the solar spectrum (peaking at 490-540) and diminishing in the shorter and longer wavelengths. Pub. in SPIE, v1749 p37-48 1992 |
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