Measurement of solar UVB radiation in the English Midlands

Summary Measurements of solar radiation in the ultraviolet B band have been made at Sutton Bonington in the English East Midlands and relationships with more routinely measured meteorological variables have been established. On clear days, linear relationships have been found between the logarithm of irradiance and airmass and between the ratio of UVB to visible irradiance and the cosine of solar zenith angle. The ratio of diffuse to global radiation (D/I) in the UVB band is always greater than 0.5 and on clear days there is a linear relationship with (D/I) for the visible and full solar wave-bands, suggesting an effect of atmospheric turbidity. Such relationships may enable UVB exposures to be estimated without the need for special instrumentation.

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Messung der UVB-Sonnenstrahlung in Mittelengland

Zusammenfassung In Sutton Bonington in den East Midlands von England wurden Messungen der ultravioletten Sonnenstrahlung im B-Spektrum vorgenommen. Es wurden dabei Beziehungen zu routinemäßig gemessenen meteorologischen Variablen festgestellt.An klaren Tagen wurden lineare Beziehungen zwischen dem Logarithmus der Bestrahlung und der Luftmasse und zwischen dem Verhältnis von UVB zur sichtbaren Strahlung und dem Cosinus des Zenitwinkels der Sonne festgestellt. Das Verhältnis Himmelsstrahlung zu Globalstrahlung (D/I) im UVB-Spektrum ist immer größer als 0,5. An klaren Tagen besteht eine lineare Beziehung zu (D/I) für den sichtbaren und den vollen Wellenbereich des Sonnenlichtes, die den Eindruck einer atmosphärischen Trübung erzeugt. Solche Beziehungen machen es möglich, UVB-Bestrahlung ohne spezielle Instrumente abzuschätzen.

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With 6 Figures     

On the measurement of sky radiation

Summary Equipment for the continuous registration, at the earth's surface, of the vertical flux of short-wave sky radiation of solar origin was first introduced into South Africa in 1951. This radiation is the energy component which is scattered out of the solar beam and diffused downwards by gaseous molecules, water droplets and solid particles. A contribution to the radiation from cloudless portions of the sky is also provided by the reflection of sunlight at the surfaces of cloud masses.In this paper the techniques of instrumental measurement and reduction of the records, which have been originated in the Radiation Service of the Union Weather Bureau, are described. In particular, a section is devoted to the problem of correcting for radiation intercepted when shadow bands are employed to screen off the direct solar component. Tabular values of this corrective factor are presented, for a specific screening ring and three standard categories of cloudiness, on a world-wide basis.At present nine radiation stations (soon to be increased to eleven) in Southern Africa are equipped with the type of sky pyranograph described in the paper; in the Belgian Congo, three more stations are operated with equipment which is very similar. The general method outlined here has been adopted by the joint session of the Radiation Commission of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics with the Working Group on Radiation of the World Meteorological Organization (Rome 1954) as a basic principle for the introduction of such measurements within national weather services.

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Zusammenfassung Eine Einrichtung für die Dauerregistrierung des Vertikalstroms der kurzwelligen Himmelsstrahlung solaren Ursprungs am Erdboden wurde in Südafrika 1951 eingerichtet; es handelt sich dabei um die Strahlungsenergiekomponente, die aus dem Sonnenstrahl gestreut und durch Gasmoleküle, Wassertröpfchen und feste Partikel abwärts diffundiert wird. Ein Beitrag zu der Strahlung der wolkenlosen Partien des Himmels wird auch durch die Reflexion des Sonnenlichts an den Wolkenoberflächen geleistet.In der vorliegenden Untersuchung wird die Technik der instrumentellen Messung und der Reduktion der Registrierungen beschrieben, die im Strahlungsdienst des Unions-Wetterdienstes entwickelt wurde. Ein spezieller Abschnitt ist dem Problem gewidmet, wie die Strahlungswerte zu korrigieren sind, wenn die direkte Sonnenstrahlung durch einen Beschattungsring abgeschirmt wird. Es werden Tabellenwerte dieser Korrektionsgröße für die ganze Erde und für einen speziellen Abschirmungsring und drei typische Bewölkungszustände vorgelegt.Zur Zeit sind 9 Strahlungsstationen (die in Kürze auf 11 erhöht werden) in Südafrika mit dem hier beschriebenen Modell eines Himmelspyranographen ausgestattet; im Belgischen Kongo werden weitere 3 Stationen mit ganz ähnlichen Einrichtungen betrieben. Die hier skizzierte Methode wurde 1954 in Rom an der gemeinsamen Sitzung der Strahlungskommission der U. G. G. I. und der Arbeitsgruppe für Strahlung der W. M. O. als Grundprinzip für die Einführung solcher Messungen in Landeswetterdiensten angenommen.

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Résumé On a installé en 1951 en Afrique du Sud un dispositif d'enregistrement continu du flux vertical de rayonnement céleste à courte longueur d'onde; il s'agit de la composante de l'énergie radiative solaire diffusée par les molécules gazeuses, les gouttelettes d'eau et les particules solides en suspension. Le ciel serein participe également à ce rayonnement par réflexion de la lumière solaire à la surface des nuages.On décrit ici l'appareillage de mesure et la réduction de celles-ci développée par le Service du rayonnement du Service météorologique de l'Union de l'Afrique du Sud. On s'applique en particulier à la correction des valeurs de rayonnement dans le cas où le rayonnement solaire direct est arrêté par un anneau protecteur. Des tableaux de cette correction ont été calculés pour la Terre entière et pour un anneau déterminé ainsi que pour trois états typiques de la nébulosité.Il existe actuellement 9 stations de mesure (11 sous peu) en Afrique du Sud équipées du pyranographe céleste ici décrit; en outre trois stations travaillent au Congo belge avec un appareillage analogue. La présente méthode a été adoptée en 1954 à Rome lors de la session de la Commission du Rayonnement de l'U.G.G.I. et du Groupe de Travail du Rayonnement de l'O.M.M. comme principe de base pour l'introduction de telles mesures dans les services météorologiques nationaux.

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With 3 Figures     

Ultraviolet radiation in overcast sky at the surface

Based on the analysis of one year of observation data of solar radiation at the ground in Beijing in 1990, a simple empirical formula for calculating UV radiation in overcast sky is established. The formula is Qlw/Quvo = A1S Ao, where Quv and Quvo are monthly mean daily sums of UV exposure in overcast sky and clear sky, respectively. S is the daily sunshine hours. The calculated results agree well with the observed. The maximum and minimum relative biases are 9.9% and 0.1%, respectively, and the yearly relative bias is 2.9%. The ratio of ultraviolet radiation of overcast sky to clear sky in 1990 is between 44.6% and 61.8%, and the yearly average is 53.9%. Thus, almost half of the UV energy is lost in the atmosphere in overcast sky in 1990.     

On the relative spectral distribution of the radiation from the zenith sky

Summary Spectral intensities of the scattered radiation from the zenith sky were measured using a filter monochromator. The monochromator was calibrated by means of a tungsten-filament lamp with known spectral energy distribution. The intensities of the individual wave-bands were referred to the total radiation intensity in the wave range considered, i. e. all spectral distributions were adjusted so as to give a constant total radiation. The relative intensity distributions obtained in this way are discussed. The results indicate that the relative intensity in a wave-band around 460 m is to a large extent independent of the atmospheric scattering conditions.

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Zusammenfassung Die spektrale Intensität der gestreuten Himmelsstrahlung des Zenithimmels wurde mit einem Filtermonochromator gemessen; der Monochromator wurde mittels einer Wolframbandlampe mit bekannter Energieverteilung geeicht. Die Intensität der einzelnen Wellenlängenbereiche ist auf die totale Strahlungsintensität des untersuchten Bereichs bezogen, d. h. alle spektralen Verteilungen wurden so umgerechnet, daß sie eine konstante Gesamtstrahlung ergaben; die in dieser Weise erhaltenen relativen Intensitätsverteilungen werden diskutiert. Die Resultate lassen erkennen, daß die relative Intensität in einem Wellenbereich um 460 m in hohem Maße von den Verhältnissen der atmosphärischen Streuung unabhängig ist.

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Résumé On mesure l'intensité spectrale de la lumière diffuse du ciel provenant du zénith à l'aide d'un monochromateur à filtre étalonné au moyen d'une lampe au wolfram à spectre énergétique connu. L'intensité des diverses régions spectrales est rapportée à l'intensité totale du domaine étudié, c'està-dire que toutes les distributions spectrales ont été calculées de façon à donner un rayonnement total constant. Les distributions relatives ainsi obtenues front l'objet d'une discussion qui montre que, dans un domaine centré sur 460 m, l'intensité relative est dans une large mesure indépendante des conditions de la dispersion atmosphérique.

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With 4 Figures     

Investigations on the calibration factor of the Schulze and the Funk radiation balance meters and comparison of some measured results

Summary In a previous paper [1] the sensitivity of radiation balance meters with a polyethylene dome was discussed. In these discussions it appeared that the absorption properties of the thermopile and the transmission of the polyethylene play an important role in sensitivity.A number of polyethylene domes has been measured on their transmission power before as well as after use, to get information on the effect of use. The absorption factor for longwave thermal radiation of Parsons optical matt black has been calculated by comparing net radiation data from the Funk net radiometer and calculated data from separate measurements of incoming and outgoing radiation by the Schulze balance radiometer.

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Zusammenfassung In einer früheren Mitteilung [1] wurde die Empfindlichkeit von Strahlungsbilanzmessern mit Lupolenhalbkugel diskutiert; dabei ergab sich, daß bei der Empfindlichkeit die Absorptionseigenschaften der Thermosäule und die Durchlässigkeit des Lupolens eine bedeutende Rolle spielen.Um den Einfluß der Benützung abzuklären, wurde bei einer Anzahl Lupolenhalbkugeln die Durchlässigkeit vor und nach erfolgter Exposition gemessen. Das Absorptionsvermögen von Parsons mattem Schwarzlack für langwellige Wärmestrahlung wurde berechnet durch eine Vergleichung von Nettostrahlungswerten nach dem Funk-Strahlungsmesser und von berechneten Werten separater Messungen der einfallenden und der ausgehenden Strahlung mit einem Schulze-Strahlungsbilanzmesser.

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Résumé Dans un précédent mémoire [1], on a discuté la sensibilité des appareils de mesure du bilan radiatif recouverts de coupoles de polyéthylène. Il en découlait que la dite sensibilité dépend avant tout des propriétés d'absorption de la pile thermo-électrique et du pouvoir de transmission de l'enveloppe de polyéthylène.Afin de déterminer les effets découlant de leur utilisation, on a mesuré la perméabilité au rayonnement d'un certain nombre de coupoles de polyéthylène avant et après leur exposition. On a calculé le pouvoir d'absorption en rayonnement calorifique de grande longueur d'ondes de la laque noire et mate de Parsons en comparant les relevés de rayonnement net d'un radiomètre de Funk aux valeurs calculées de mesures séparées du rayonnement reçu et émis mesures faites au moyen d'un bilanmètre de rayonnement de Schulze.

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With 1 Figure     

A new kind of cloudy sky model to compute instantaneous values of diffuse and global solar irradiance

Summary A model that uses two parameters to describe the state of the sky is presented. The parameters are the total cloud amount and a new two-value parameter – the sunshine number – stating whether the sun is covered or uncovered by clouds. Regression formulae to compute instantaneous cloudy sky global and diffuse irradiance on a horizontal surface are proposed. Fitting these relationships to Romanian data shows low bias errors for global radiation but larger errors for diffuse radiation. The model’s accuracy is significantly higher than one based on total cloud amount alone. The model is used to generate time-series of solar radiation data. A first approximate relationship, neglecting auto-correlation of the sunshine number, is used in the computations. Received July 17, 2001 Revised November 7, 2001     

Modeling the photosynthetically active radiation in South West Amazonia under all sky conditions

Accurate estimates of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) are critical for the development of realistic models of plant productivity. However, in many areas such as the vast Amazon region of South America, there have been few empirical studies of PAR. Here, we analyzed the relationship between PAR and broadband solar irradiance (R _s) and formulated models to estimate PAR in two experimental sites (pasture and forest) in the Brazilian Amazon. Three different models of increasing complexity were developed based on information from R _s (model 1), R _s and clearness index (k _t; model 2), and R _s, k _t, and water vapor pressure (model 3). Estimates of PAR were generated for each season and for the entire year. All models had very high determination coefficients and indices of agreement for both pasture and forest sites. This strongly supports the use of R _s and k _t to produce robust estimates of PAR. The results obtained by annual models were close than that found by seasonal models, demonstrating that a single annual model is able to estimate PAR, albeit with lower accuracy.     

Empirical estimation of daily clear sky solar radiation in Thessaloniki,Greece

Summary In the present study a mathematical model is proposed for estimating daily clear sky solar radiation in Thessaloniki. The relation I = A*sin (h) + B was used for calculating the intensity I of solar radiation. The coefficientsA andB depend on the quantities of water vapour and aerosols in the atmosphere and the sunheight (h).A andB have been estimated separately for each month. The application of the proposed model is only possible when the values ofA andB and two other astronomical parameters (sun's declination and hour angleH) are known. A good agreement has been found between observed and computed values, a fact significantly reinforcing the accuracy of the proposed model.NotesWith 2 Figures     

用卫星资料计算我国东部地区晴空太阳辐射

根据光的多次散射理论的离散纵标法，利用我国东南沿海地区探空站的资料，计算出不同高度上分谱段的太阳直接辐射和向上，向下散射辐射，与相应时刻的卫星测值（可见光，红外通道S－VISSR计数值）进行逐步回归拟合，建立晴空状况下卫星测值与大气中各高度太阳直接辐射和攻射辐射的统计模式，并将拟合方法进行稳定性检验，据此可以利用卫星资料计算各高度分谱段的太阳直接辐射和散射辐射。     

Comparison between experimental and calculated values of sky luminance in the Sun's vertical plane at Seville (Spain)

An attempt has been made to find a satisfactory agreement between calculated and measured values of diffuse skylight luminance in the sun's vertical plane at Seville (Spain). Measurements were carried out at three different wavelengths in the visible region (λ₁ = 632.2 nm, λ₂ = 546.4 nm and λ₃ = 435.6 nm). Data of atmospheric optical thickness was also obtained at these wavelengths.At first, computations dealt only with primary scattering, but the agreement was unsatisfactory.An approximation method which takes into account multiple scattering (aerosol and molecular) was then used with good results. The best agreement between experimental and calculated values is obtained at λ₁ and λ₂.     

A comparison between observed and predicted values for the entrainment coefficient in the planetary boundary layer

A new method is presented for determining experimentally the entrainment coefficient % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaeyqaiabg2% da9iabgkHiTiaacIcadaqdaaqaaiabeI7aXjaacEcacaWG3bGaai4j% aaaacaGGPaGaamyAaiabg+caViaacIcadaqdaaqaaiabeI7aXjaacE% cacaWG3bGaai4jaaaacaGGPaWaaSbaaSqaaiaaicdaaeqaaaaa!4646!\[{\text{A}} = - (\overline {\theta 'w'} )i/(\overline {\theta 'w'} )_0 \] characteristic of a convective, planetary boundary layer. This method, which makes use of sodar records together with simultaneous meteorological observations, can be applied to morning convection situations (i.e. shallow mixed layer capped by a marked temperature inversion). Data from the Voves experiment (France, summer 1977) yield A values between 0 and 1, thus departing from the 0.2 ± 0.1 interval which is the range of commonly accepted values.A comparison between these results and theoretical predictions using models developed by Stull (1976) and Zeman and Tennekes (1977) indicates a fair amount of agreement; the importance of mechanically driven turbulence in the entrainment process, especially for the early morning hours, is therefore confirmed.

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Résumé Une méthode de détermination expérimentale du coefficient d'entraînement % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaeyqaiabg2% da9iabgkHiTiaacIcadaqdaaqaaiabeI7aXjaacEcacaWG3bGaai4j% aaaacaGGPaGaamyAaiabg+caViaacIcadaqdaaqaaiabeI7aXjaacE% cacaWG3bGaai4jaaaacaGGPaWaaSbaaSqaaiaaicdaaeqaaaaa!4646!\[{\text{A}} = - (\overline {\theta 'w'} )i/(\overline {\theta 'w'} )_0 \] dans une couche limite planétaire convective est proposée. Cette méthode, qui combine les données enregistrées par un sodar à des mesures météorologiques in situ, s'applique aux cas de convection matinale (couche de mélange assez peu développée surmontée par une inversion de température marquée.) Dans le cas des observations recueillies lors de la campagne de Voves (1977) elle fournit des valeurs de A qui s'écartent parfois de 0.2 ± 0.1 (gamme des valeurs souvent adoptées) et couvrent la totalité de l'intervalle 0-1.La comparaison entre les valeurs de A déterminées par cette méthode et celles prédites à partir des modèles de Stull (1976) et Zeman (1977) conduit à un accord satisfaisant, ce qui confirme le rôle joué par la turbulence mécanique dans le processus d'entraînement durant les premières heures de la convection matinale.

     

A new algorithm to estimate sky condition based on 5 minutes-averaged values of clearness index and relative optical air mass

Summary This work describes a new algorithm to characterize sky condition in intervals of 5 min using four categories of sun exposition: apparent sun with cloud reflection effects; apparent sun without cloud effects; sun partially concealed by clouds; and sun totally concealed by clouds. The algorithm can also be applied to estimate hourly and daily sky condition in terms of the traditional three categories: clear, partially cloudy and cloudy day. It identifies sky conditions within a confidence interval of 95% by minimizing local climate and measurement effects. This is accomplished by using a logistic cumulative probability function to characterize clear sky and Weibull cumulative probability function to represent cloudy sky. Both probability functions are derived from frequency distributions of clearness index, based on 5 minutes-averaged values of global solar irradiance observed at the surface during a period of 6 years in Botucatu, Southeastern of Brazil. The relative sunshine estimated from the new algorithm is statistically comparable to the one derived from Campbell-Stocks sunshine recorder for both daily and monthly values. The new method indicates that the highest frequency of clear sky days occurs in Botucatu during winter (66%) and the lowest during the summer (38%). Partially cloudy condition is the dominant feature during all months of the year.     

Analysis of sky conditions using 40 year records of solar radiation data in China

Summary Forty years of daily global and diffuse radiation data have been used to characterize the atmospheric optical conditions at 14 premium radiation stations in China. The clearness index (K _T ), diffuse ratio (K _D ), and diffuse coefficient (K _C ) have been analyzed for long-term and seasonal variations, correlations of relative sunshine (R _S ) versus clearness index and diffuse coefficient, respectively. Two polynomial models have been developed to simulate clearness index and diffuse ratio by using relative sunshine data and have been shown to be reasonable at most of the 14 stations. The results show that there are significant declining trends in clearness index and increasing trends in diffuse ratio at most of the 14 premium radiation stations, but there are no significant trends for diffuse coefficient. The seasonal variations of clearness index are determined by the regional climate and changes with relative sunshine.     

A comparison of several diffuse solar radiation models for Greece

Summary This paper attempts to test the applicability of existing correlation models to the estimation of diffuse radiation with respect to measured values at a station. There are two types of model: The first type depends on the fraction of monthly average daily diffuse radiation to total solar radiation, , as a function of the clearness index, . The second type expresses the fraction or as a function of the sunshine fraction Therefore, it presents statistically based correlations between global radiation and its diffuse component on a horizontal surface and suggests two equations to determine the ratio of diffuse radiation to total radiation received on a horizontal surface. The results of these correlation equations are compared with other accepted equations.With 3 Figures