Atmospheric Radiation

A complete revision of Goody's classic 1964 work, this volume offers a systematic discussion of atmospheric radiation processes that today are at the center of worldwide study and concern. It deals with the ways in which incident solar radiation is transformed into scattered and thermal radiation, and the thermodynamic consequences for the Earth's gaseous envelope, identifying aspects of the interaction between radiation and atmospheric motions as the central theme for atmospheric radiation studies. As a complete treatment of physical and mathematical foundations, the text assumes no prior knowledge of atmospheric physics. The theoretical discussion is systematic, and can therefore be applied with minor extension to any planetary atmosphere.

Fundamentals of radiation for atmospheric applications -- Solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere -- Absorption and scattering of solar radiation in the atmosphere -- Thermal infrared radiation transfer in the atmosphere -- Light scattering by atmospheric particulates -- Principles of radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres -- Application of radiative transfer principles to remote sensing -- Radiation and climate.

An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation

This textbook covers the essentials of atmospheric radiation at a level appropriate to advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate students. It was written specifically to be readable and technically accessible to students having no prior background in the subject area and who may or may not intend to continue with more advanced study of radiation or remote sensing. The author emphasizes physical insight, first and foremost, but backed by the essential mathematical relationships. The second edition adds new exercises, improved figures, a table of symbols, and discussions of new topics, such as the Poynting vector and the energy balance within the atmosphere. The book web page includes additional resources for courses taught using this book, including downloadable/printable PDF figures as well as solutions to most problems (for instructors of recognized courses only).

Meeting the need for teaching material suitable for students of atmospheric science and courses on atmospheric radiation, this textbook covers the fundamentals of emission, absorption, and scattering of electromagnetic radiation from ultraviolet to infrared and beyond. Much of the contents applies to planetary atmosphere, with graded discussions providing a thorough treatment of subjects, including single scattering by particles at different levels of complexity. The discussion of the simple multiple scattering theory introduces concepts in more advanced theories, such that the more complicated two-stream theory allows readers to progress beyond the pile-of-plates theory. The authors are physicists teaching at the largest meteorology department in the US at Penn State. The problems given in the text come from students, colleagues, and correspondents, and the figures designed especially for this book facilitate comprehension. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of atmospheric science. * Free solutions manual available for lecturers at www.wiley-vch.de/supplements/

This Second Edition of An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation has been extensively revised to address the fundamental study and quantitative measurement of the interactions of solar and terrestrial radiation with molecules, aerosols, and cloud particles in planetary atmospheres. It contains 70% new material, much of it stemming from the investigation of the atmospheric greenhouse effects of external radiative perturbations in climate systems, and the development of methodologies for inferring atmospheric and surface parameters by means of remote sensing. Liou's comprehensive treatment of the fundamentals of atmospheric radiation was developed for students, academics, and researchers in atmospheric sciences, remote sensing, and climate modeling. Balanced treatment of fundamentals and applications Includes over 170 illustrations to complement the concise description of each subject Numerous examples and hands-on exercises at the end of each chapter

This book sets out to give a rigorous mathematical description of the greenhouse effect through the theory of infrared atmospheric emission. In contrast to traditional climatological analysis, this approach eschews empirical relations in favour of a strict thermodynamical derivation, based on data from NASA and from the HITRAN spectroscopy database. The results highlight new aspects of the role of clouds in the greenhouse effect.

This textbook is a first-look at radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres with a particular focus on the Earth's atmosphere and climate. It covers the basics of the radiative transfer of sunlight, treating absorption and scattering, and the transfer of the thermal infrared. The examples included show how the solutions of the radiative transfer equation are used to evaluate changes in the Earth?s energy budget due to changes in atmospheric composition, how these changes lead to climate change, and also how remote sensing can be used to probe the thermal structure and composition of planetary atmospheres. The examples motivate students by leading them to a better understanding of and appreciation for the computer-generated numerical results. Aimed at upper-division undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics and atmospheric sciences, the book is designed to cover the essence of the material in a 10-week course, while the material in the optional sections will facilitate its use at the more leisurely pace and in-depth focus of a semester course.