Abstract
Abstract
Solar radiation is the source of energy for the earth. The amount of solar radiation that reaching the earth’s surface, is strongly influenced by the interaction of solar radiation with the atmospheric that is passed through. This paper analyzes the effect of aerosols on solar radiation balance in the Indonesian atmosphere using radiation data from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and aerosol optical depth that is obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) - Terra, from March 2000 to February 2016. Aerosol optical depth data (AOD) and shortwave (SW) radiation that reach the top of atmosphere and the earth’s surface were analyzed spatially and temporally with the observation area of the 150S – 150N and 900W – 1500E. Moreover, the sample of several locations was analyzed such as Palangkaraya, Pontianak, Banjarmasin and Samarinda, to look at the cases of forest fires which generate aerosols that quite high. Results of data analysis showed a significant influence of aerosols on the divergence of short-wave solar radiation in the atmosphere of Indonesia. The divergence of short-wave radiation shows how much solar radiation is absorbed in the atmosphere. Some cities such as Palangkaraya and Pontianak showed a strong correlation (0.7 - 0.95) between AOD and the value of shortwave radiation divergence. Temporal pattern from time series analysis showed that the increase in the value of AOD due to the fires incident, give the biggest influence on the decrease in solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.