Clouds, Light, and Shade

Measurement campaign in Jülich records the spatial fluctuations of incident solar radiation for the first time

Jülich, 7 June 2013 – The higher the sun is in the sky, the more intensely we can feel its heat. Yet it is not only the position of the sun that influences the intensity of incident solar radiation. Aerosols in the air and, in particular, clouds can both increase and reduce it. This means that the solar radiation reaching the ground fluctuates substantially. For the very first time in Germany, researchers from Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research will conduct joint experiments in Jülich in June and July to record the spatial fluctuations caused by clouds in a region.

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