Solar Radiative Transfer Through Clouds Possessing Isotropic Variable Extinction Coefficient

Abstract Solar radiative fluxes were computed for heterogeneous clouds using an extension of the Monte Carlo method of photon transport which assumes that clouds possess isotropic variability. Hence, computation of fluxes for three‐dimensional (3‐D) clouds can be achieved with only an extended, characteristic one‐dimensional (1‐D) transect of extinction coefficient, β. These are easily obtained by aircraft measurements. In order to validate the …