SOLAR RADIATION PRESSURE AND LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM FLOW PARAMETERS FROM INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER LOW ENERGY HYDROGEN MEASUREMENTS

Neutral hydrogen atoms that travel into the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM) experience strong effects due to charge exchange and radiation pressure from resonant absorption and re-emission of Lyα. The radiation pressure roughly compensates for the solar gravity. As a result, interstellar hydrogen atoms move along trajectories that are quite different than those of heavier interstellar species such as helium and oxygen, which experience relatively weak radiation pressure. Charge exchange leads to the loss of primary neutrals from the LISM and the addition of new secondary neutrals from the heliosheath. IBEX observations show clear effects of radiation pressure in a large longitudinal shift in the peak of interstellar hydrogen compared with that of interstellar helium. Here, we compare results from the Lee et al. interstellar neutral model with IBEX-Lo hydrogen observations to describe the distribution of hydrogen near 1 AU and provide new estimates of the solar radiation pressure. We find over the period analyzed from 2009 to 2011 that radiation pressure divided by the gravitational force (μ) has increased slightly from μ = 0.94 ± 0.04 in 2009 to μ = 1.01 ± 0.05 in 2011. We have also derived the speed, temperature, source longitude, and latitude of the neutral H atoms and find that these parameters are roughly consistent with those of interstellar He, particularly when considering the filtration effects that act on H in the outer heliosheath. Thus, our analysis shows that over the period from 2009 to 2011, we observe signatures of neutral H consistent with the primary distribution of atoms from the LISM and a radiation pressure that increases in the early rise of solar activity.

The influence of absorbed solar radiation by Saharan dust on hurricane genesis

To date, the radiative impact of dust and the Sahar an air layer (SAL) on North Atlantic hurricane activity is not yet known. According to previous studies, dust stabilizes the atmosphere due to absorption of solar radiation but thus shifts convection to regions more conducive for hurricane genesis. Here we analyze differences in hurricane genesis and frequency from ensemble sensitivity simulations with radiatively active and inactive dust in the aerosol-climate model ECHAM6-HAM. We investigate dust burden and other hurricane-related variables and determine their influence on disturbances which develop into hurricanes (developing disturbances, DDs) and those which do not (nondeveloping disturbances, NDDs). Dust and the SAL are found to potentially have both inhibiting and supporting influences on background conditions for hurricane genesis. A slight southward shift of DDs is determined when dust is active as well as a significant warming of the SAL, which leads to a strengthening of the vertical circulation associated with the SAL. The dust burden of DDs is smaller in active dust simulations compared to DDs in simulations with inactive dust, while NDDs contain more dust in active dust simulations. However, no significant influence of radiatively active dust on other variables in DDs and NDDs is found. Furthermore, no substantial change in the DD and NDD frequency due to the radiative effects of dust can be detected.

Solar radiation over and under sea ice and photographic quantification of Ice algal aggregates during the POLARSTERN cruise ARK-XXVII/3 (IceArc) in summer 2012

The ice cover of the Arctic Ocean has been changing dramatically in the last decades and the consequences for the sea-ice associated ecosystem remain difficult to assess. Algal aggregates underneath sea ice have been described sporadically but the frequency and distribution of their occurrence is not well quantified. We used upward looking images obtained by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to derive estimates of ice algal aggregate biomass and to investigate their spatial distribution. During the IceArc expedition (ARK-XXVII/3) of RV Polarstern in late summer 2012, different types of algal aggregates were observed floating underneath various ice types in the Central Arctic basins. Our results show that the floe scale distribution of algal aggregates in late summer is very patchy and determined by the topography of the ice underside, with aggregates collecting in dome shaped structures and at the edges of pressure ridges. The buoyancy of the aggregates was also evident from analysis of the aggregate size distribution. Different approaches used to estimate aggregate biomass yield a wide range of results. This highlights that special care must be taken when upscaling observations and comparing results from surveys conducted using different methods or on different spatial scales.

Tab. 1: Direct beam solar radiation measurements for selected stations in Polar regions

As part of a larger experiment, atmospheric turbidity measurements were carried out during the austral summer 1985/86 in Adelie Land, Eastern Antarctica at 1560 m elevation. A comparison of our measurements of the solar beam with those of other areas in the Arctic and Antarctic was carried out. Our values were higher than all measurements from the Arctic. For Antarctica, Plateau and Mizuho Stations, both higher in altitude, had somewhat higher values, while the value of the coastal stations were lower. We calculated also turbidity indexes such as Unke's turbidity factor T and Angstrom's turbidity coefficient ß. Mean values of T were around 2.0, which are low values indeed. Beta values were around 0.04, a rather typical value for polar regions. No trend in turbidity could be observed for the time of observation. Further, it could be shown that the decrease in intensity with increasing optical air mass was less pronounced for larger wavelengths than for shorter ones.

Solar radiation over and under sea ice during POLARSTERN cruise PS92 (TRANSSIZ) in 2015

Measurements of solar radiation over and under sea ice have been performed on various stations in the Arctic Ocean during the Polarstern cruise PS92 (TRANSSIZ) between 19 May and 30 June 2015. All radiation measurements have been performed with Ramses spectral radiometers (Trios, Rastede, Germany). All data are given in full spectral resolution interpolated to 1.0 nm, and integrated over the entire wavelength range (broadband, total: 320 to 950 nm). Two sensors were mounted on a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and one radiometer was installed on the sea ice for surface reference measurements (solar irradiance). On the ROV, one irradiance sensor (cos-collector) for energy budget calculations and one radiance sensor (9° opening angle) to obtain high resolution spatial variability were installed. Along with the radiation measurements, ROV positions were obtained from acoustic USBL-positioning and all parameters of vehicle depth, distance to the ice and attitude recorded. All times are given in UTC.

Solar radiation over and under sea ice at ROV station PS86/081-1 during POLARSTERN cruise PS86 (AURORA) in July 2014

The observed changes in physical properties of sea ice such as decreased thickness and increased melt pond cover severely impact the energy budget of Arctic sea ice. Increased light transmission leads to increased deposition of solar energy in the upper ocean and thus plays a crucial role for amount and timing of sea-ice-melt and under-ice primary production. Recent developments in underwater technology provide new opportunities to study light transmission below the largely inaccessible underside of sea ice. We measured spectral under-ice radiance and irradiance using the new Nereid Under-Ice (NUI) underwater robotic vehicle, during a cruise of the R/V Polarstern to 83°N 6°W in the Arctic Ocean in July 2014. NUI is a next generation hybrid remotely operated vehicle (H-ROV) designed for both remotely piloted and autonomous surveys underneath land-fast and moving sea ice. Here we present results from one of the first comprehensive scientific dives of NUI employing its interdisciplinary sensor suite. We combine under-ice optical measurements with three dimensional under-ice topography (multibeam sonar) and aerial images of the surface conditions. We investigate the influence of spatially varying ice-thickness and surface properties on the spatial variability of light transmittance during summer. Our results show that surface properties such as melt ponds dominate the spatial distribution of the under-ice light field on small scales (<1000 m**2), while sea ice-thickness is the most important predictor for light transmission on larger scales. In addition, we propose the use of an algorithm to obtain histograms of light transmission from distributions of sea ice thickness and surface albedo.

Analytical solution to the one-dimensional non-uniform absorption of solar radiation in uncoated and coated single glass panes

The analytical solution to the one-dimensional absorption–conduction heat transfer problem inside a single glass pane is presented, which correctly takes into account all the relevant physical phenomena: the appearance of multiple reflections, the spectral distribution of solar radiation, the spectral dependence of optical properties, the presence of possible coatings, the non-uniform nature of radiation absorption, and the diffusion of heat by conduction across the glass pane. Additionally to the well established and known direct absorptance αe, the derived solution introduces a new spectral quantity called direct absorptance moment βe, that indicates where in the glass pane is the absorption of radiation actually taking place. The theoretical and numerical comparison of the derived solution with existing approximate thermal models for the absorption–conduction problem reveals that the latter ones work best for low-absorbing uncoated single glass panes, something not necessarily fulfilled by modern glazings.

Relationship between solar radiation on watercore on apple fruit assessed with MRI

This work is a preliminary studio of the possibility of assess a relationship between solar radiation and watercore development on apple fruit, during maturation, using a non destructive method such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). For such purpose, several low cost solar radiation sensors were designed for the trial and placed at 2 different heights (1.5 and 2.5 m) on 6 adult ?Esperiega? apple trees, in a commercial orchard in Ademuz (Valencia). Sensors were connected along 27 days, during the end of the growth period and start of the fruit maturation process, and radiation measurements of the a-Si sensors were recorded every 1 minute. At the end of this period, fruits from the upper and the lower part of the canopy of each tree were harvested. In all, 152 apples were collected and images with MRI. A Principal Component Analysis, perfomed over the histograms of the images, as well as segmentation methods were performed on the MR images in order to find a pattern involving solar radiation and watercore incidence.

Evaluation and improvement of empirical models of global solar irradiation: Case study northern Spain

This paper presents a new methodology to build parametric models to estimate global solar irradiation adjusted to specific on-site characteristics based on the evaluation of variable im- portance. Thus, those variables higly correlated to solar irradiation on a site are implemented in the model and therefore, different models might be proposed under different climates. This methodology is applied in a study case in La Rioja region (northern Spain). A new model is proposed and evaluated on stability and accuracy against a review of twenty-two already exist- ing parametric models based on temperatures and rainfall in seventeen meteorological stations in La Rioja. The methodology of model evaluation is based on bootstrapping, which leads to achieve a high level of confidence in model calibration and validation from short time series (in this case five years, from 2007 to 2011). The model proposed improves the estimates of the other twenty-two models with average mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.195 MJ/m2 day and average confidence interval width (95% C.I., n=100) of 0.261 MJ/m2 day. 41.65% of the daily residuals in the case of SIAR and 20.12% in that of SOS Rioja fall within the uncertainty tolerance of the pyranometers of the two networks (10% and 5%, respectively). Relative differences between measured and estimated irradiation on an annual cumulative basis are below 4.82%. Thus, the proposed model might be useful to estimate annual sums of global solar irradiation, reaching insignificant differences between measurements from pyranometers.

Downscaling of global solar irradiation in R

A methodology for downscaling solar irradiation from satellite-derived databases is described using R software. Different packages such as raster, parallel, solaR, gstat, sp and rasterVis are considered in this study for improving solar resource estimation in areas with complex topography, in which downscaling is a very useful tool for reducing inherent deviations in satellite-derived irradiation databases, which lack of high global spatial resolution. A topographical analysis of horizon blocking and sky-view is developed with a digital elevation model to determine what fraction of hourly solar irradiation reaches the Earth's surface. Eventually, kriging with external drift is applied for a better estimation of solar irradiation throughout the region analyzed. This methodology has been implemented as an example within the region of La Rioja in northern Spain, and the mean absolute error found is a striking 25.5% lower than with the original database.