ENHANCED ABSORPTION OF SOLAR-RADIATION BY CLOUD DROPLETS CONTAINING SOOT PARTICLES IN THEIR SURFACE

Laboratory studies show that when soot particles from acetylene combustion are captured by drops of size 0.1 to 1 mm they remain partially submerged in the surface for several hours. The intensity of solar radiation passing through a drop is calculated to be much greater near the surface, and therefore with such particles on the surface will give enhanced absorption compared with the situation in which the particles are uniformly distributed throughout the drop volume. This gives a possible explanation for enhanced cloud absorption when soot particles are present in amounts consistent with field measurements.