Solar Radiation Spectrum

Abstract

Solar radiation is significantly altered along its path throughout the atmosphere. This has important implications in many natural and technological processes, including meteorology, biology, ecology, and energy production. This entry examines the characteristics of the solar electromagnetic spectrum as it can be observed from just outside the Earth’s atmosphere, how atmospheric extinction processes affect the shortwave portion of this spectrum, how all these processes can be modeled, and how the resulting spectrum can be determined experimentally. Furthermore, discussions are provided about the availability of various modeling tools to evaluate the spectral irradiance at the Earth’s surface, and about sources of measured or modeled data regarding the solar spectrum.