Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2 (51) - 2009
Series II: Forestry • Wood Engineering • Agriculture and Food Engineering
V.D. PACURAR1
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Silviculture Dept., Transilvania University of Braşov.
Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 2 (51) - 2009 • Series II
2
these models is represented by the digital January 4th, when the Earth is closest to the
elevation model (DEM), an array (matrix) Sun and the lower one on July 5th, when it
with cell elevation values. In this way, the is furthest.
landforms could be accurately represented As passes the atmosphere, the solar
at “meso” (medium) level, but certainly, radiation suffers an extinction, through
the geomorphologic details (at micro scale) absorption and scattering, which depends
are stochastically distributed. The accurate on the transparency coefficient (inverse of
representation of the geomorphology the extinction coefficient) and the optical
makes a great difference, because the depth (or air mass). Consequently, the
landforms are the backbone of the site, intensity of the radiation on a surface
enabling us to take account of: the di- perpendicular to the beam, could be
fferent microclimatic conditions (depen- calculated using the equation expressing
dent of steepness, aspect, slope position the Beers-Bouguer Law:
-and also influenced by soil and cover 1
peculiarities), soil properties spatial .
cos( z ) (3)
I = I0 ⋅ p
variation (its depth, clay content etc. are
obviously varying along a hillslope), etc. where:
These digital models are useful for I- radiation intensity on normal surface
simulating a wide range of natural (perpendicular to the beam) [W/m2];
processes, because a watershed represents I0, solar ‘constant’,[W/m2];
a geosystem, a complex system integrating p, total transparency coefficient [-];
several related ecosystems, therefore a z – the zenith angle (the angle between the
basic unit for many geophysical and sun beam and the vertical line).
biological processes. Thus, the watershed The zenith angle (z), which is
models are useful for applications in complementary to the solar “height” angle
mountain climatology, in forest soils and (h0=900-z), could be calculated using the
site analysis, generally in mountain and following trigonometric relation:
forest ecology. cos(z) = sin(λ)sin(δ) +
cos(λ)cos(δ)cos(ω) (4)
2. Solar radiation calculations where: λ − the latitude of the location;
δ − the declination of the sun;
Solar radiation incident outside the ω −the hour angle.
earth's atmosphere is called extraterrestrial The declination of the sun is the angle
radiation [4]. On average the extra- between the earth's axis and the plane
terrestrial radiance, also called the ‘solar perpendicular to the line between the earth
constant’, is 1367 W/m2, but this value and the sun. An approximate formula for
slightly varies during the year. The the declination of the sun is given below:
extraterrestrial radiation for each Julian π 2π ⋅ ( 284 + n)
day (n, counted from January 1st) could be δ = 23.45 ⋅ ⋅ sin (5)
180 365
calculated, using the following formulas: The hour angle could be calculated for
Io= 1367 . [1.00011 + 0.034221 . cos(β) + any time moment, usually for any hour,
0.001280 . sin(β) + +0.000719 . cos(2β) after computing the solar time (Tsolar).
+ 0.000077 . sin(2β)]. [W/m2] (1) ω = π . (12 - Tsolar) / 12 (6)
β = 2πn / 365 . [radians] (2) By multiplying the radiation intensity, I
The higher values of the ‘solar constant’ [W/m2], on the normal surface, given by
are recorded in the boreal winter, around (3), with cos(θ), where θ is the angle
PACURAR V.: Mountain Areas Solar Radiation Spatial Distribution Analysis…
3
Fig. 1. Thematic maps of aspect and slope gradients for the Valea Băii watershed
30
25
Area Percentage (%)
20
15
10
0
< 10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90
Equivalent latitude
16
14
12
Area Percentage (%)
10
8
6
4
2
0
-10..0
0..10
-90..-40
-40..-30
-30..-20
-20..-10
10..20
20..30
30..40
40..50
50..90
Equivalent longitude
Fig. 2. The classes distribution of equivalent latitude and longitude in V.Băii watershed
Using in equations (7) and (8) the The equivalent longitudes are
arrays of slope and aspect values, with indicating the “time change” in the solar
the Image Calculator module of Idrisi, radiation daily regime, respectively the
the equivalent latitude and longitude moment of maximum incoming energy.
were calculated for each cell. The From figure 2 results that the equivalent
percentage distribution of watershed longitudes are more evenly distributed
area on categories is shown in Figure 2. within the catchment. Anyway there are
more cells with positive corrections due
3. Conclusions to the general orientation of the
watershed.
The equivalent latitudes should not be These parameters are useful for
considered as indicating climate con- comparing the meteorological data
ditions comparable with those at the measured at cell level and determining
same coordinates on Earth (raster cells the spatial variation pattern. On this
with low equivalent latitudes are not in basis it is possible to evaluate the impact
tropical conditions) but offer a sound of the possible climate changes at local
basis for analysing the differences level.
among various elementary areas. On the
hillslopes the solar beams are heating Acknowledgements
the land more than on similar horizontal
surface. In Figure 2 we can observe that The researches presented are part of
almost all the watershed is characterised the project PN II Idei, ID_206, funded
by equivalent latitudes lower than the by CNCSIS-UEFISCSU (contract
real geographic one (45o). 310/1.10.2007).
PACURAR V.: Mountain Areas Solar Radiation Spatial Distribution Analysis…
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References 2006.
3. Savabi, M.R., Young, R.A.: Winter
1. Nicks, A.D., Harp ,J.F.: - Stochastic Hydrology. WEPP Documentation,
generation of temperature and solar N.S.E.R. Laboratory, U.S.D.A.,
radiation data. In: Journal of 1995.
Hydrology, 48, 1980, p. 71-82. 4. Stull, R.B.: Meteorology Today for
2. Păcurar, V.D.: Utilizarea sistemelor Scientists and Engineers. Second
de informaţii geografice în mo- Ed., Thomson Learning, Brooks
delarea şi simularea proceselor /Cole, 2000.
hidrologice. Ed.Lux Libris, Braşov,