Radiation Balance

Authors: HATFIELD, JERRY - Former ARS Employee; Togliatti, Kaitlin; Sauer, Thomas; Prueger, John

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2022
Publication Date: 4/26/2022
Citation: Hatfield, J.L., Togliatti, K.E., Sauer, T.J., Prueger, J.H. 2022. Radiation Balance. Book Chapter. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822974-3.00040-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822974-3.00040-9

Interpretive Summary: We are providing information on the components that make up the energy balance and how these components vary, impacting the magnitude of the energy within each term. We learned that light from the sun, changing soil surface, and crop residues all impact the energy balance. This book chapter will advance basic knowledge of net energy and energy balance. It will be of value to scientists and people who want to learn more about energy balance and the different components that go into its calculation.

Technical Abstract: The radiation balance of a surface represents the balance of shortwave gains and losses and longwave gains and losses. The radiation balance changes throughout the day and year owing to incoming solar radiation, which has the largest effect on the radiation balance, followed in importance by the cloud cover. The least amount of variation among days is introduced by the incoming longwave radiation, since this factor is primarily affected by air temperature. On a daily interval, changing the soil surface through tillage or crop-residue management has a large impact on the radiation balance. In the case of fresh crop residue there is an increase in the albedo of the surface and a reduction in net radiation. Humans have a large impact on the radiation balance and can manipulate the energy balance through all of the components in the radiation balance.