Two-stream approximation: Difference between revisions

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This approximation captures essence of the [[Radiative transfer|radiative transport]] in light scattering atmosphere. <ref name=meador80a> W.E. Meador and W.R. Weaver, 1980, Two-Stream Approximations to Radiative Transfer in Planetary Atmospheres: A Unified Description of Existing Methods and a New Improvement, 37, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 630–643

http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0469/37/3/pdf/i1520-0469-37-3-630.pdf </ref> Two stream approximation is commonly used in parameterizations of radiative transport in [[Global climate model|global circulation models]] and in weather forecasting models such as [[Weather Research and Forecasting model|WRF]]. There is suprisingly large number of applications of the two stream approximations incudingincluding variants such as [[Kubelka-Munk approximation]]. The two stream approximation is the simplest approximation which can be used to explain common observation inexplicable by single-scattering arguments such as the brightness and color of the clear sky, the brightness of clouds, the whiteness of a glass of milk, the darkening of sand upon wetting. <ref> Bohren, Craig F., 1987, Multiple scattering of light and some of its observable consequences, American Journal of Physics, 55, 524-533. </ref> The two stream approximation comes in many variants including [[Eddington approximation]], Modified Eddington, Quadrature, Hemispheric constant models. <ref name=meador80a/> Modern mathematical description of the two stream approximation is given in several books. <ref> {{cite book|author=G. E. Thomas and K. Stamnes|title=Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere and Ocean|publisher=Cambridge University Press.|year=1999|isbn=0-521-40124-0}} </ref>

<ref> {{cite book|title=A First Course In Atmospheric Radiation (2nd Ed.)|author=Grant W. Petty|publisher=Sundog Publishing, Madison, Wisconsin|year=2006|ISBN=10: 0-9729033-1-3}} </ref>