Abstract
Two pyranometers were installed o n a helicopter to measure the upward and the downward fluxes of solar radiation at several levels in the lower atmosphere (500-7,000ft). The measurements were carried out at intervals of 1,000 ft between the heights 500 and 7,000 ft. The solar radiation absorbed by atmospheric constituents contained in each layer was obtained by the divergence of the net fluxes observed at several levels. The absorption due to water vapor was calculated by the formula given by Mügge and Möller using the available radiosonde data. Vertical profile of the absorption by aerosols differs from each other depending on the atmospheric conditions. The total absorption due to aerosols between 500 and 7,000 ft is about 17 per cent of the income at the top of the atmosphere in a hazy case and about 4 per cent in a clear case. From the absorption data the instantaneous heating rate of water vapor and aerosol absorption was calculated.
