Difference between revisions of "Cloud Absorption"
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Cloud Absorption
The absorption
of electromagnetic
radiation by the water drops and water vapor within a cloud. Compare cloud
attenuation.
For insolation
(incoming solar radiation), clouds absorb rather small fractions, particularly
of the shorter wavelengths. Even for depths of clouds of the order of 20,000
feet, measurements suggest absorptions of less than 30 percent, while layers
only 1000 to 2000 feet thick may absorb only about 5 percent. However, for
long wave terrestrial
radiation, even very thin layers of cloud act as almost complete
black-body absorbers.
References
This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use
