Solar radiation intensities, incident to the sea surface off the Oregon
coast, are measured and compared. Simplification of some physical
and biological problems can be anticipated if the average radiation
received over a broad segment of ocean can be accurately indicated
by the amount recorded at the land station.
The area of ocean over which the study was made extends the
length of the Oregon coast and 165 miles to sea. The measurements
were made during the months of June, July, August, and September
1963 with an Eppley total radiation pyrheliometer.
A division of the study area into Newport and three zones parallel
to the coast separated the data into comparative groups. Clear sky
radiation values, assumed constant with longitude, are used as bases
for comparison. For each value of observed radiation, a corresponding
clear sky value was calculated using standard techniques. Curves,
based on a dust-free atmosphere with two cm of precipitable water,
are developed to provide these calculated values.
Before the recorded values from the zones are compared, their
corresponding calculated spectra are adjusted to be identical. This
is done by weighting the number of observations in each classification.
In all instances, the zone values are adjusted to those of Newport.
Comparison is made between mean intensity values, percentages
of calculated clear sky values, relative and cumulative frequencies of
intensities, and composites of daily traces. Two methods of analysis
are employed. One classifies data by intensity level, and the other
classifies it by the hour of the day during which it was recorded.
Not enough observations were available in the two zones farthest
from Newport to provide smooth curves. It is found, however, that
there is essentially no change with longitude in observed intensity
spectra and means. It is concluded that the average radiation recorded
at Newport indicates with some accuracy the average radiation received
over the section of ocean in question. / Graduation date: 1965
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/29621 |
| Date | 23 October 1964 |
| Creators | Minard, David Raymond |
| Contributors | Pattullo, June G. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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