Modeling influences of topography on incoming solar radiation from satellite remote sensing data

Solar radiation is the primary source of energy that drives earth system processes, such as weather patterns and rates of primary production by green plants. Accurate solar irradiance data are necessary for the radiative forcing of the climate system assessment as well as for efficient planning and operation of solar energy systems. Topography is a major factor that determines the amount of solar radiation reaching any particular location on the Earth's surface. Its variability in elevation, surface orientation (slope and aspect), and shadows is subject to quantitative modeling, based on radiative transfer models (RTM) using atmospheric parameter information retrieved from the MODIS satellites. This paper focuses on the description of a solar radiation model to describe spatial and temporal patterns of daily radiation based on topography and daily temperature regimes with a specific analysis for Dobruja area, Romania.