SOLAR

RADIATION

and

EARTH'S
ENERGY
BALANCE
 Solar Radiation

• - is radiant energy emitted by the sun

from a nuclear fusion reaction that
creates electromagnetic energy.
 Types of solar radiation

Outgoing
Incoming
radiation from
radiation from earth
the sun
- it is a long
- it is a short wavelength or
wavelength or terrestrial
solar radiation. radiation.
 Solar energy is
transformed to heat
energy only it is
absorbed and re-
emitted by.
Wavelength of radiation- is
measured in units of
micrometers or Angstroms.
(A=10 -10 m).Most of the
solar radiation is in the
visible short- wave range
( 1.4 to 0.8 mm)
 As sunlight passes through the
atmosphere, some of it is absorbed,
scattered, and reflected by air
molecules, water vapor, clouds, dust,
pollutants, forest fires and volcanoes.
This is called diffuse solar radiation.
 The solar radiation that reaches the
Earth's surface without being diffused is
called direct beam solar radiation.
The sum of the diffuse and direct solar
radiation is called global solar
radiation.
•  
 A portion of the incoming solar radiation is
absorbed by the surface and a portion is also
reflected away. The proportion of light
reflected from a surface is the albedo .

 Albedo values range from 0 for no reflection to

1 for complete reflection of light striking the
surface. Albedo can be expressed as a
percentage (albedo multiplied by 100) that for
some is easier to understand.
Surface Typical Albedo

Fresh asphalt 0.04

Worn Asphalt 0.12

Bare Soil 0.17

Green Grass 0.25

New Concrete 0.55

Fresh Snow 0.80 - 0.90

Table 1: Albedo Values

•  
 The amount of reflection basically depends
on the color of the surface; darker surfaces
reflect less than lighter colored ones. For
some surfaces, like water, the sun angle
affects albedo.

 Darker urban surface absorbs more heat

during the day causing the urban heat
island effect.
•  
 Longwave Radiation

•  
•  
Measuremen
t of radiation
a)Pyrheliometer

- is an instrument for
measurement of direct beam solar
irradiance
. ..
a)Pyranometer
 
-used for measuring solar
irradiance on a planar surface and it is
designed to measure the solar
radiation flux density from the
hemisphere above.
 
• Pyrgeometer

- is an instrument for
measuring the infrared radiation
spectrum in the atmosphere .
• 
• Pyrgeometer

- is an instrument for
measuring the infrared radiation
spectrum in the atmosphere .
• 
Pyrradiometer

- is a total hemispherical
radiometer, used for exact
determination of net radiation in short-
wave and long-wave radiation range.
 
a)Net Pyrradiometer or
net radiometer

- designed to measure both

solar and thermal wavelengths of
radiation as a single sum of
energy.