Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Polarization and Albedo

Abstract

SCHWERDTFEGER1 has recently directed attention to the mechanism underlying the dependence of short-wave or optical albedo on solar elevation and the presence or absence of cloud cover. He cites as one of the major causes of this dependence the polarization of incident radiation (solar) on reflexion at terrestrial surfaces. The few comments made here are intended to bring out the rather involved interrelation between polarization and albedo, which plays a very prominent part in the solution of radiant -energy transfer problems in the Earth's atmosphere.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schwerdtfeger, P., Nature, 202, 894 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chandrasekhar, S., Radiative Transfer (Oxf. Univ. Press, 1950).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Coulson, Kinsell L., Jitendra, V. Dave, and Zdenek, Sekera, Tables Related to Radiation Emerging from a Planetary Atmosphere with Rayleigh Scattering (Univ. California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1960).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Holzworth, G. C., and Nagaraja Rao, C. R. (unpublished results).

  5. Sekera, Z., Proceedings of I.U.G.G. Symp. Radiant Energy in the Sea, Helsinki, 66 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Soret, J. L., C.R. Acad. Sci., Paris, 107, 867 (1888).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Coulson, Kinsell L., Sci. Rep. No. 2, Contract AF 19(604)–1303, Dept. Meteorology, Univ. California, Los Angeles (1956).

  8. Final Rep., Contract AF 19(122)–239, Dept. Meteorology, Univ. California, Los Angeles (1955).

  9. Mullama, Yu, three papers on radiative transfer from Investigations of the Physics of the Atmosphere, No. 3 (Acad. Sci., Estonian S.S.R., 1962). English translation by Deirmendjian, D., et al., Mem. RM–3869–PR, Rand Corp., Santa Monica, California (September 1963).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

NAGARAJA RAO, C. Polarization and Albedo. Nature 204, 277–278 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/204277a0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/204277a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing