An atmospheric transmittance model for the calculation of the clear sky beam, diffuse and global photosynthetically active radiation

Abstract A physical model is proposed for the estimation of the photosynthetically-active-radiation (PAR) components. Transmittances corresponding to ozone absorption, Rayleigh scattering and aerosol extinction are parameterized after numerical integration of spectral formulae. The parameters used in the model are station pressure, ozone amount, Angstrom turbidity coefficients, single-scattering albedo, ground albedo and solar elevation. Knowledge of these parameters is necessary if the beam and diffuse PAR are to be estimated accurately; while the global PAR is essentially a function of solar elevation. Model estimates compare well with predictions obtained with rigorous spectral codes (LOWTRAN and BRITE) and to measurements in Uccle, Belgium. It may be used in any area where the turbidity climatology is sufficiently known, to compute instantaneous, hourly or daily PAR clear sky values, even if simultaneous solar radiation measurements are not available.

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