Direct and Diffused component of shortwave radiation in ERA5 data

Asked by: Richard Hernandez

What is diffuse shortwave radiation?

Shortwave solar radiation can be separated into two components: direct and diffuse beam. Diffuse beam is the portion of the radiation that has been scattered by gas molecules and suspended particles in the atmosphere and reaches the earth’s surface from multiple directions.

What are the types of shortwave radiation?

Incoming ultraviolet, visible, and a limited portion of infrared energy (together sometimes called “shortwave radiation”) from the Sun drive the Earth’s climate system. Some of this incoming radiation is reflected off clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some passes through to the Earth’s surface.

What is an example of shortwave radiation?

Solar energy enters our atmosphere as shortwave radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) rays (the ones that give us sunburn) and visible light. The sun emits shortwave radiation because it is extremely hot and has a lot of energy to give off.

What is the source of shortwave radiation?

Shortwave radiation is a radiant energy produced by the sun with wavelengths ranging from infrared through visible to ultraviolet. Shortwave radiation is therefore exclusively associated with daylight hours for a particular location on the Earth’s surface.

What is direct and diffuse radiation?

In simple terms, direct radiation has a definite direction but diffuse radiation follows a much more scattered, uncertain path. Because when the radiation is direct, the rays are all travelling in the same direction, an object can block them all at once.

What is meant by diffuse radiation?

Diffuse Radiation (Gd) is the part of total radiation that reaches earth’s surface after a change of its directions due to scattering by the atmosphere (Wm−2).

What is the difference between shortwave and longwave radiation?

Shortwave radiation refers to radiation of solar origin, which is primarily in the visible and shorter wavelengths. Longwave refers to radiation of terrestrial origin, which is typically in the infrared and longer wavelengths (dependent on temperature) and is radiated by the earth, us, clouds, the atmosphere, etc.

What is the difference between shortwave and longwave radio?

Shortwave radio covers the high-frequency band of the radio spectrum. Shortwave uses the “skip” propagation method, where a signal is bounced off of the atmosphere. Longwave radio transmits waves in a straight line, capable of navigating objects and terrain to reach the receiver using low power.

What absorbs shortwave radiation in the atmosphere?

Oxygen, in the form of O₂ (diatomic oxygen) and O₃ (triatomic oxygen, ozone), is the most important absorber of incoming radiation in the atmosphere.

What is the source of shortwave radiation within the greenhouse effect diagrams?

Shortwave radiation from the sun transmits through the atmosphere and is absorbed by earth’s surface. the surface is warmed and so emits longwave radiation that is absorbed by greenhouse gases delaying the eventual loss of this energy space.

How does the difference between shortwave and longwave radiation drive the greenhouse effect?

There are many greenhouse gases but the most abundant greenhouse gases are water vapor and carbon dioxide. Shortwave radiation from the Sun passes through greenhouse gases, but long wave radiation is absorbed by them. Greenhouse gases absorb long wave radiation that is emitted by the surface of the earth.

Does shortwave radiation heat the atmosphere?

A fraction of the incoming shortwave radiation is absorbed by atmospheric gases, including water vapour, and warms the air directly, but in the absence of clouds most of this energy reaches the surface.

What is the direct radiation?

Direct radiation is defined as radiation that has not experienced scattering in the atmosphere, so that it is directionally fixed, coming from the disc of the Sun. Scattered radiation is, then, the radiation having experienced scattering processes in the atmosphere.

How do you measure global and diffuse radiation?

Diffuse solar radiation is measured using a pyranometer that is equipped with a narrow sun-shading ring with its axis parallel to the Earth’s. A pyrgeometer is an instrument used to measure long-wave radiation, either terrestrial or atmospheric.

What are the 2 types of solar energy?

Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy. There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).

Does the sun emit shortwave radiation?

Energy released from the Sun is emitted as shortwave light and ultraviolet energy. When it reaches the Earth, some is reflected back to space by clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed at the Earth’s surface.

Does shortwave radiation heat the atmosphere?

A fraction of the incoming shortwave radiation is absorbed by atmospheric gases, including water vapour, and warms the air directly, but in the absence of clouds most of this energy reaches the surface.

Do greenhouse gases absorb shortwave radiation?

So it important to realize that the greenhouse gases don’t trap incoming short wave radiation, but rather the long wave radiation that is emitted by the Earth’s surface due to absorbing the short wave radiation.

What absorbs longwave radiation?

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and liquid water droplets absorb longwave energy emitted by the surface of Earth, warming the atmosphere in a process referred to as the “greenhouse effect.”

What is the difference between shortwave and longwave radiation?

Shortwave radiation refers to radiation of solar origin, which is primarily in the visible and shorter wavelengths. Longwave refers to radiation of terrestrial origin, which is typically in the infrared and longer wavelengths (dependent on temperature) and is radiated by the earth, us, clouds, the atmosphere, etc.

What is the source of long wave radiation?

Significant sources of longwave radiation in hydrologic applications include the atmosphere itself, and any clouds that may be present locally in the atmosphere.