The oblateness effect on the extraterrestrial solar radiation

View/ Open
Authors
Van Hemelrijck, E.
Discipline
Physical sciences
Audience
Scientific
Date
1983Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
Calculations of the daily solar radiation incident at the top of the Earth's atmosphere, with and without the effect of the oblateness, are presented in a figure illustrating the seasonal and latitudinal variation of the ratio of both insolations. It is shown that, in summer, the daily insolation of an oblate Earth is slightly increased in two regions symmetric with respect to the summer solstice. In winter, the flattening effect results in a somewhat more extensive polar region, the solar energy input being always reduced (in some cases by more than 2 per cent) when compared to a spherical one. In addition, we also numerically studied the mean daily solar radiation. It is found that the mean summer daily insolation is scarcely increased between the equator and the subsolar point, but decreased poleward of the above mentioned limit. In winter, however, the mean daily insolation is always reduced, the maximum loss of insolation attaining as much as 1 per cent in the 55-85° latitude interval. The partial gain of the mean summertime insolation being much smaller than the reduction during winter season evidently yields a mean annual daily insolation which is decreased, maximally by about 0.3 per cent, at all latitudes.
Citation
Van Hemelrijck, E. (1983). The oblateness effect on the extraterrestrial solar radiation. , Solar Energy, Vol. 31, Issue 2, 223-228, DOI: 10.1016/0038-092X(83)90085-3.Identifiers
scopus: 2-s2.0-0020502731
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng