Ground-based measurements of the weatherdriven sky radiance distribution in the Southern Hemisphere

authored by

Raúl R. Cordero, Sarah Feron, Edgardo Sepúlveda, Alessandro Damiani, Jose Jorquera, Penny M. Rowe, Jorge Carrasco, Juan A. Rayas, Pedro Llanillo, Shelley MacDonell, Gunther Seckmeyer

Abstract

The angular distribution of the sky radiance determines the energy generation of solar power technologies as well as the ultraviolet (UV) doses delivered to the biosphere. The sky-diffuse radiance distribution depends on the wavelength, the solar elevation, and the atmospheric conditions. Here, we report on ground-based measurements of the all-sky radiance at three sites in the Southern Hemisphere across a transect of about 5,000 km: Santiago (33°S, a mid-latitude city of 6 million inhabitants with endemic poor air quality), King George Island (62°S, at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the cloudiest regions on Earth), and Union Glacier (79°S, a snow-covered glacier in the vast interior of Western Antarctica). The sites were strategically selected for studying the influence of urban aerosols, frequent and thick clouds, and extremely high albedo on the sky-diffuse radiance distribution. Our results show that, due to changing site-specific atmospheric conditions, the characterization of the weather-driven sky radiance distribution may require ground-based measurements.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Meteorology and Climatology

External Organisation(s)

Universidad de Santiago de Chile
University of Groningen
National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan
NorthWest Research Associates, Inc.
UNIVERSIDAD DE MAGALLANES
Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica A.C.
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA)

Type

Article

Journal

PLOS ONE

Volume

18

ISSN

1932-6203

Publication date

14.06.2023

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286397 (Access: Open)