The Effect of Atmospheric Haze on Infrared Radiative Cooling Rates

Abstract

The radiative flux divergence is computed for the lower few centimeters of the atmosphere assuming a water vapor-haze mixture. Some additional computations are made for higher altitudes also. The haze model, based on Deirmendjian's formulation, is used to obtain the scattering and absorption coefficients from Mie theory, which are employed in radiative transfer equations. This new formulation of the radiative transfer equation takes into consideration the combined effects of water vapor and particle absorption, as well as primary particle scattering. The influence of the albedo of the earth and the interface temperature discontinuity is taken into consideration. Results show that the incorporation of a reasonable interface temperature discontinuity of the earth's surface is of higher order of importance than the haze influence near the surface.