Results from the first ARM diffuse horizontal shortwave irradiance comparison

Journal Article · Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2003 · Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002825· OSTI ID:15004323

Michalsky, J J ^[1]; Dolce, R ^[2]; Dutton, E G ^[3]; Haeffelin, Martial ^[4]; Major, G ^[5]; Schlemmer, J A; Slater, Donald W ^[6]; Hickey, J R ^[7]; Jeffries, W Q ^[8]; Los, A ^[9]; Mathias, D ^[10]; McArthur, LJ B ^[11]; Philipona, R ^[12]; Reda, I ^[13]; Stoffel, T ^[13]

---

1. New York, State Univ Of
2. Zipp and Zonen, Inc.
3. NOAA/CMDL
4. VISITORS
5. Budabest University of Economic Sciences
6. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
7. The Eppley Laboratory, Inc.
8. Yankee Environmental Systems
9. Kipp and Zonen, Inc.
10. Carter-Scott Design
11. Meteorlogical Service of Canada
12. Physikalish - Meteorologiisches Observatorium and World
13. National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The first intensive observation period (IOP) dedicated exclusively to the measurement of diffuse horizontal shortwave irradiance was held in the Fall 2001 at the central facility of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site with the cooperation of the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) community. Fourteen simultaneous measurements were obtained over a two-week period under mostly clear skies with low to moderate aerosol loading. Overcast data were obtained during the morning of one day. The purpose of the comparison was to assess the level of agreement in diffuse irradiance measurements among most commercial pyranometers and a few prototypes calibrated independently using current practices. The hope was to achieve a consensus for this measurement with the goal of improving the uncertainty of shortwave diffuse irradiance measurements. All diffuse broadband measurements were made using the same type of two-axis tracker with the direct beam blocked by shading balls. Tracking was very good during the IOP with no outages associated with tracker problems. Five of the measurements are reproducible to about 2 W/m2 at the 95% confidence level. Four more agree with the most consistent group to about 4 W/m2 at the 95% confidence level after correction for thermal offsets. The prototypes agree less well with the most consistent group.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15004323
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-37023; KP1201030; TRN: US201015%%527
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, Vol. 108, Issue D3; ISSN 0747-7309
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
AEROSOLS
PYRANOMETERS
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RADIATIONS
SHADING
ARM
Horizontal shortwave
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement