Numerical Computations of the Latitudinal Variation of Solar Radiation for an Atmosphere of Varying Opacity

Abstract

A model for incoming solar radiation is developed for use with readily available meteorological data and is designed for efficiency and accuracy. Purameterizations are used to account for Rayleigh and Mie scattering and for absorption by permanent gases, water vapor and aerosols. Clouds are incorporated in the model by employing Manabe and Strickler's methods, and by including the transmission functions of Haurwitz. Results compare favorably with results of more sophisticated models and with observations taken during BOMEX and IFYGL. The latitudinal effects of various aerosol concentrations in the presence of clouds are examined. For a given aerosol opacity, it is found that the doily summer insolation has larger reductions near the poles than near the equator.