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On the use of equations to estimate atmospheric thermal radiation

Über die Anwendung von Gleichungen zur Schätzung der atmosphärischen Wärmestrahlung

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Summary

Four of the most commonly used empirical equations relating atmospheric thermal radiation to screen-level vapor pressure and/or air temperature are contrasted. The successes and failures of those equations that are based only on air temperature are shown to be dependent upon the degree of correlation between surface vapor pressure and air temperaturevia a modified “opacity effect”. Several considerations are listed for determining whether to use an equation based only on air temperature or one based on both air temperature and vapor pressure. The equations are then evaluated relative to each other in each of these two groups. Finally, some new ideas are presented relative to the problems encountered with estimating atmospheric thermal radiation when clouds are present.

Zusammenfassung

Es werden vier der meist verwendeten empirischen Gleichungen für die Berechnung der atmosphärischen Wärmestrahlung aus Stationsbeobachtung des Dampfdruckes und/oder der Lufttemperatur einander gegenübergestellt. Es wird gezeigt, daß die Erfolge und die Versager der Gleichungen, die nur auf der Lufttemperatur basieren, vom Grad der Korrelation zwischen Wasserdampf und Lufttemperatur über einem modifizierten „Undurchlässigkeitseffekt” abhängen. Ferner werden einige Beobachtungen über die Anwendung einer Gleichung, die nur die Lufttemperatur, oder einer Gleichung, die die Lufttemperatur und den Wasserdampfdruck einbezieht, angestellt. Für diese zwei Gruppen werden die Auswertungen der Gleichungen miteinander verglichen. Schließlich werden neue Ideen zum Problem der Berechnung der atmosphärischen Wärmestrahlung bei Bewölkung dargelegt.

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With 5 Figures

Contribution form the Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.

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Idso, S.B. On the use of equations to estimate atmospheric thermal radiation. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. B. 22, 287–299 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02243474

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