Spectral actinometry at SMEAR-Estonia

TL;DR

This study presents eight years of spectral measurements of solar radiation in Estonia, providing detailed data on spectral and total irradiance variations, and introduces a new meteorological parameter based on irradiance ratios.

Contribution

It offers a unique, long-term spectral irradiance dataset and proposes using irradiance ratios as a novel meteorological indicator instead of traditional cloud cover measurements.

Findings

Collected spectral data over 8 years in Estonia

Provided quantitative analysis of spectral irradiance variability

Introduced irradiance ratio as a meteorological parameter

Abstract

Systematic spectral measurements of downwelling solar radiation, both of global and diffuse, have been collected in summertime during 8 years in the hemi-boreal zone in south east Estonia near the SMEAR-Estonia research station. The measurements provided information about the variation of spectral and total, global and diffuse irradiance in the wavelength range from 300 to 2160 nm with spectral resolution of 3 nm in UV to 16 nm in SWIR spectral regions. Unique data have been collected and quantitative description of the variability of the measured spectra is provided. For the description of the synoptic situation during measurements, instead of cloud cover, the ratio of measured to possible total irradiance in the spectral range of 320--1800 nm is used. This ratio could be used as the primary meteorological parameter instead of cloud cover which is difficult to measure instrumentally.