Back-scattering of sunlight by ice grains in the mesosphere
Abstract
Small dielectric ice particles of radius ~0.25 Μm, which are known to be present in the mesophere, scatter a fraction of incident sunlight in backward directions that do not reach the Earth. This back-scattered fraction is rigorously calculated using Mie theory for a uniform distribution of particles distributed over a sunlit hemisphere. Such calculations provide necessary information for estimating equilibrium surface temperatures of the Earth under different conditions.
- Publication:
-
Earth Moon and Planets
- Pub Date:
- February 1991
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1991EM&P...52..161H
- Keywords:
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- Atmospheric Scattering;
- Backscattering;
- Ice Clouds;
- Mesosphere;
- Sunlight;
- Earth Surface;
- Mie Scattering;
- Surface Temperature;
- Surface Temperature;
- Uniform Distribution;
- Equilibrium Surface;
- Incident Sunlight;
- Sunlit Hemisphere