Spectral composition of solar radiation:

1. The spectrum of the suns solar radiation is closed to that of a black body with a
temperature of 5800K about half of that lies in the visible short wave part of the
electromagnetic spectrum and the other half mostly in the near infrared part.
2. The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation striking the earths atmosphere is 100-
10
6
nm.
3. This can be divided into 5 regions in increasing order of wave length.
I. Ultraviolet-C (UVC): It has a range of 100 to 200nm.The term ultraviolet refers
to the fact that the radiation is at higher frequency than violet light. very little of
this reaches the earths surface (Lithosphere).
II. Ultraviolet-B (UVB): It has a range of 280-315nm. It is also greatly observed as
a altmosphere and along with UVC is responsible for the photochemical reaction
peading to the production of the ozone layer.
III. Ultraviolet-A (UVA): It has a range of 315-400nm. It has been traditionally felt
as less damaging to the DNA and hence used in Tanning.
IV. Visible range: It has a range of 400-700nm. It is visible in naked eye.
V. Infrarred range: It has a range of 700nm-10
6
nm. It is responsible for a part of
the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the earth. It is also divided into three
types on the basis of wavelength. (i) Infrared A(700-1400)nm. (ii) Infrared
B(1400-3000)nm.(iii) Infrared C (3000-10
6
)nm.


Radiation Flux at the Earth Surfaces:

The sun delivers above 7000 times more energy to the earths surface then we currently
needed for our global consumption even if we could use only a small fraction of solar energy,
we could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

The sun is a powerful reactors (Fusion and nuclear) producing highest amount of energy
which is unfortunately is dispersed in space and practically all of it is lost.

The earth is 149596000km from the sun and at this distance solar flux is relatively small. The
energy interrupted by the mark over a period of one year is equal to the energy emitted by the
sun in just 14msec.
The intensity of a solar radiation reaching us is about 1369watt/m
2
. This is called solar
constant. The actual solar radiation interrupted by the earth is 342 watt/m
2
.

2
2
2 2
watt/m 342
4
X watt/m 1369

r
r

, where r is radius of earth.
The value we have calculated is called the average solar radiation intensity at the outer region
of earths atmosphere.

On average each square meter of the upper region of the atmosphere receives 342 watt/m
2
of
solar radiation. The atmosphere an average 67 watt/m
2
and reflects 77 watt/m
2
so about 198
watt/m
2
reaches the earths surface of which 168 watt/m
2
is absorbed and 30 watt/m
2
is
reflected back to the space. The total reflected radiation is 107 watt/m
2
which is 31% of the
incoming radiation.