ASSIGNMENT 2

Physics of Atmosphere and Ocean ASL 703

All questions are compulsory. The marks distribution is done for each question.
Total marks = 20
Submission date: Oct. 1, 2014 (AN)

1. Given the luminosity of sun as 3.94 X 1020 MW, compute the solar constant for Venus and
Jupiter, taking the mean solar distances to be 1.081 X108 km and 7.7773 X108 km. (1 mark) 4th
question Buyers
2.Consider Plank curves for black bodies at 333 K. Determine the wavelength of the maximum
of each curve and the total area under each curve. (1 mark) 7th question Buyers.
3.At a certain wavelength it is found that the decimal coefficient of extinction of water vapor is
 = 0.15. What would be the transmissivity through 3 cm of precipitable water at this
wavelength. (1 mark) 10th question Buyers.
4. Clouds behave as blackbodies in the infrared region of the spectrum, but are relatively
transparent in the microwave region. Explain (1 mark) 4.11 m Wallace & hobbs.

5. The equivalent blackbody temperature of Venus is lower than that of Earth even though Venus
is closer to the sun. Explain (1 mark) 4.11 h Wallace & hobbs

6. What percentage of the incident monochromatic intensity with wavelength  and zero zenith
angle is absorbed in passing through the layer of the atmosphere extending from an optical depth
 = 0.2 to  = 4.0? (1 mark) 4.47 (a) Wallace & hobbs

7. Compute the daily insolation at the North Pole at the time of the summer solstice when the
Earth–sun distance is 1.52 X108 km. The tilt of the Earth’s axis is 23.5°. (1 mark) 4.17(a)
wallace & hobbs

8. Consider solar radiation with a zenith angle of 0° that is incident on a layer of aerosols with a
single scattering albedo 0= 0.85, an asymmetry factor g = 0.7, and an optical thickness = 0.1
averaged over the shortwave part of the spectrum. The albedo of the underlying surface is Rs =
0.15.

(a) Estimate the fraction of the incident radiation that is backscattered by the aerosol layer in its
downward passage through the atmosphere.
(b) Estimate the fraction of the incident radiation that is absorbed by the aerosol layer in its
downward passage through the atmosphere. (2 marks) 4.42 (a,b) Wallace & hobbs
9. Prove that the optical thickness of a layer is (-1) times the natural logarithm of the
transmissivity of the layer. (1 mark) 4.49 (a) Wallace & hobbs

10. The annual mean surface air temperature ranges from roughly 23 °C in the tropics to - 25 °C
in the polar cap regions. On the basis of the Stefan–Boltzmann law, estimate the ratio of the flux
density of the emitted longwave radiation in the tropics to that in the polar cap region. (1.5
marks) 4.56(a) Wallace & hobbs

11. what are the values of solar constant for Earth at the perihelion, aphelion, spring equinox and
winter solstice. (1.5 marks) Earth = mean 1366.1 W/m2 perihelion 1412.5
W/m2 aphelion 1321.7 W/m2 ,

12.Suppose polluted air reflects 30% and transmits 50% of incoming solar radiation. How much
is absorbed and how much is emitted, assuming an irradiance equal to the solar constant. (1.5
marks) N17 meteorology for scientist and engineers chapter 2 radiation.

13. For a surface temperature of 293 K and emissivity of 1.0, find the emitted upwelling Infrared
radiation. (1 mark)

14. During the equinox at noon, what is the solar elevation angle above the horizon at the
latitudes a) 30 N b) 60 S (1mark) N16 meteorology for scientist and engineers chapter 2
radiation

15. For a global mean albedo of Rp = 0.15, show that the equilibrium temperature of the Earth
(assuming no atmospheric absorption of outgoing infrared radiation) is about 268 K. Calculate
the variation in solar constant and in global albedo corresponding to a change of 0.5 K in
temperature. (1 mark)

16. For incident parallel beam solar radiation in an isothermal atmosphere in which k is
independent of height, show that optical depth is linearly proportional to pressure. (1.5 marks)
4.45

17. Show from the Planck's law that the Rayleigh-Jeans radiation law holds approximately at
long wave lengths. (1 mark) chapter 1 radiation, problem 1 , page 33.