Algorithms for radiative intensity calculations in moderately thick atmospheres using a truncation approximation

Abstract The efficiency of numerical calculations is discussed for selected algorithms employing the discrete ordinate method and the truncation approximation for the solar radiative intensity in moderately thick, plane-parallel scattering atmospheres. It is found that truncation of the phase function causes a significant error in the computed intensity and the magnitude of this error depends significantly on how the intensity is retrieved from the truncated radiative transfer equation. A newly developed retrieval algorithm, the IMS- method, yields the intensity field with an error ⪅1% when the number of discrete path is as small as 10 in the hemisphere for aerosol-laden atmospheres with optical thickness ⪅1.

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