What is the role of air mass in terrestrial solar radiation and what percentage of solar radiation makes it to the surface of the earth and is absorbed by land and water?
The air mass coefficient defines the direct optical path length through the Earth's atmosphere, expressed as a ratio relative to the path length vertically upwards, i.e. at the zenith. The air mass coefficient can be used to help characterize the solar spectrum after solar radiation has traveled through the atmosphere. In total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface.
Air mass plays a crucial role in the transmission of terrestrial solar radiation. As sunlight travels through the Earth's atmosphere, it encounters air molecules and particles that scatter and absorb some of the radiation. The path length of sunlight through the atmosphere, known as the air mass, influences the amount of scattering and absorption that occurs. The greater the air mass, the longer the path sunlight has to travel, leading to increased scattering and absorption. Consequently, higher air masses result in a lower percentage of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. However, despite the attenuation caused by air mass, a significant portion of solar radiation still manages to penetrate the atmosphere and make its way to the surface. On average, approximately 51% of solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface, with land and water absorbing different proportions of this incoming radiation based on their respective properties. Land surfaces tend to absorb more solar radiation due to their higher albedo, while bodies of water reflect a significant portion of incoming sunlight due to their lower albedo.
In total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface. n total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface. Of all of the solar energy reaching the Earth, about 30% is reflected back into space from the atmosphere, clouds, and surface of the Earth. Another 23% of the energy is absorbed by the water vapor, clouds, and dust in the atmosphere, where it is converted into heat. To determine solar panel efficiency, sometimes referred to as photovoltaic conversion efficiency, we measure how much energy from sunlight is transformed into electricity. The average commercial solar panel converts 17-20% of sunlight into electricity. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb most of the Earth's emitted long wave infrared radiation, which heats the lower atmosphere. The Sun emits energy in the form of short-wave radiation, which is weakened in the atmosphere by the presence of clouds and absorbed by gas molecules or suspended particles. After passing through the atmosphere, solar radiation reaches the oceanic and continental land surface and is reflected or absorbed. The intensity of sunlight decreases rapidly with depth. The depth of the water not only affects the colors of light that are noticeable underwater, it also affects the intensity, or amount of light. Within the first 10 m, water absorbs more than 50 percent of the visible light energy. The air mass coefficient defines the direct optical path length through the Earth's atmosphere, expressed as a ratio relative to the path length vertically upwards, i.e. at the zenith. The air mass coefficient can be used to help characterize the solar spectrum after solar radiation has traveled through the atmosphere. Air mass can reduce the sunlight reaching a solar cell and thereby cause a reduction in the electrical current, fill factor, open circuit voltage and efficiency. The power obtained from the sun in the shape of electromagnetic radiation, known as insulation or solar irradiance, is the power per unit area. Terrestrial radiation, on either hand, refers to radioactive sources found in the water, soil, and vegetation.
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