Use of an Atmospheric Model with Aerosols to Examine Solar UV Data

Abstract

Solar UV data, collected in Switzerland by Bener, has been analyzed using an atmospheric model containing aerosols. Two calculation techniques were used: one based on the two-stream approximation and the other on Monte Carlo. A comparison of model calculations with and without aerosols showed that aerosol scattering can account for the observed angular distribution of solar radiation. However, calculated global and diffuse radiation fluxes were higher than measured values by about 20%. It is pointed out that a similar difference has been noted in other calculations, and that current aerosol models cannot account for this discrepancy.