Determination of the ground albedo and the index of absorption of atmospheric particulates by remote sensing. Part II: application.

Abstract

A hemispherical radiometer has been used to obtain spectrally narrow-band measurements of the downward hemispheric diffuse and total (global) flux densities at varying solar zenith angles on 14 days over Tucson. Data are presented which illustrate the effects of temporally varying atmospheric conditions as well as clear stable conditions on the ratio of the diffuse to direct solar radiation at the earth's surface. Results indicate that the downwelling diffuse radiation field in the mid-visible region in Tucson can be adequately described by Mie scattering theory if the ground albedo is 0.279+-0.100 and the index of absorption is 0.0306+-0.0082.-from Author