BASICS OF RADIATIVE TRANSFER

Aerosol: Fine solid or liquid particles in the atmosphere such as smo!e

"o# dust or mist$
Al%edo: The "raction o" solar radiation that is re"lected %& a sur"ace
'such as the earth($
Atmospheric )ro"ile: A description o" the atmosphere includin# the
pressure temperature *ater content and o+one at e,er& altitude$
Filter Function: The response "unction o" an instrument at each
*a,elen#th$
Irradiance: Radiant "lu- densit& incident on a sur"ace$ .atts per square
meter '. m
/0
($
Optical Depth: A measure o" the num%er o" scatterin# e,ents that occur
%et*een a source o" li#ht and the o%ser,er$
Radiance: The "lu- densit& o" radiant ener#& per unit solid an#le and
per unit area$ .atts per square meter per steradian$ '.1m
0
1str($
Radiant Ener#&: The ener#& o" electroma#netic *a,es 'li#ht($ '2
3oules($
Radiant Flu-: The rate at *hich radiant ener#& is transmitted in *a,es$
'.atts($ 'd21dt($
Solar Constant: The quantit& o" solar ener#& normall& recei,ed at the
outer la&er o" the earth4s atmosphere$
Spectral Irradiance: The radiant "lu- densit& incident on a sur"ace
resol,ed spectrall&$ '.1m
0
1m($
Spectral Radiance: The radiant "lu- densit& per unit solid an#le
resol,ed spectrall&$ '.1m
0
1m1str($
)lan!4s la*
nh E =
) 1 (
2
) (
/ 2
3

=
KT h
e c
h
T B

) 1 (
2
) (
/ 5
2

=
T K hc
e
hc
T B

Ste"an/Bolt+man 5a*

d T B T B ) ( ) (
0

=
4
) ( T T B =
6 7$89 - :;
/7
er# cm
/0
de#
/<
.ien4s Displacement 5a*
0
) (
=

T B
T a
m
/ =

A =
'Thermod&namic equili%rium(
1 = =

A
'Blac! %od&(
1 < =

A
'=ra& %od&(
Radiati,e Trans"er Equation
ds I k dI

=
ds j dI

=
ds j ds I k dI

+ =

k j J /

J I
ds k
dI
+ =

I
ds k
dI
=

2
1
1
) exp ) 0 ( ) (
s
s
ds k I s I

) , ; ( ) , ; (
) , ; (
cos

z J z I
ds k
z dI
+ =

z
dz k
) , ; ( ) , ; (
) , ; (

J I
d
dI
+ =
This is the %asic equation "or the
radiation trans"er in a plane parallel
atmosphere$
The inte#ration "rom to 6
:
the up*ard
intensit& '>;( at le,el can %e e,aluated$
The inte#ration "rom 6; to

the do*n*ard
intensit& '?;( at le,el can %e e,aluated$
Computation o" @eatin# Rates
The importance o" the a%sorption o" solar
radiation %& ,arious #ases is the #eneration
o" heatin# in the atmosphere$
Consider a plane parallel a%sor%in# and
scatterin# atmosphere illuminated %& the
solar spectral irradiance F
;
*ith a solar
+enith an#le o"
;
$ The do*n*ard "lu- densit&
normal to the top o" the atmosphere is F
;
cos
;
$ 5et the di""erntial thic!ness *ithin the
atmosphere is + and let the spectral up*ard
and do*n*ard "lu- densities centered at
*a,elen#th %e denoted %& F

and F

respecti,el&$
The net "lu- densit& 'do*n*ard( at hei#ht
+ is #i,en %&
F

'+( 6 F

/ F

The net "lu- densit& decreases "rom upper

le,els pro#ressi,el& to lo*er le,els$ The loss o"
net "lu- densit& is #i,en %&
F

'+( 6 F'+( / F'+A+(

On the %asis o" the ener#& conser,ation
principle the a%sor%ed radiant ener#& has to
%e used to heat the la&er$ Thus the heatin#
e-perienced %& a la&er o" air due to radiation
trans"er can %e e-pressed in terms o" rate o"
temperature chan#es$
t
T
z C z F
p

) (
*here is the air densit& in the la&er C
p
the
speci"ic heat at constant pressure and t is the
time$ The heatin# rate "or a di""erential la&er
+ is
z
z F
C t
T
p

) ( 1

The heatin# rate ma& also %e e-pressed in

pressure coordinates$ B& h&drostatics
equation
gdz dp =
*here # is the acceleration due to #ra,it&$
p
p F
C
g
t
T
p

) (

*here #1Cp is the lapse rate$