Solar Radiation

This module covers the topic of Solar Radiation that is taught during a 3-week session as part of the course NRES 408/808 - Microclimate: The Biological Environment.

Microclimate is the climate near the ground, that is, the climate in which plants and animals live in. Whether the surface is bare or vegetated, the greatest diurnal range in temperature is experienced there. Very large quantities of energy are exchanged at the surface inthe processes of evapotranspiration and condensation.

Solar radiation provides almost all of the energy received at the surface of the earth. Some of the radiant energy is reflected back into space. The earth also reradiates, in the thermal waveband, some of the energy received from the sun. The quanity of radiant energy remaining at the earth's surface is the net radiation (R_n).

This module contains animations and web graphing tools related to solar energy.