Spatial and Temporal Variations in Long-Term Normal Percent Possible Solar Radiation Levels in the United States

Authors

Robert C. Balling, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Randall S. Cerveny, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

1983

Citation

JOURNAL OF CLIMATE AND APPLIED METEOROLOGY VOLUME 22 (1983), pp 1726-1732

Comments

© 1983 American Meteorological Society

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the time and space variations in long-term monthly-averaged daily percent possible solar radiation levels in the United States. Both principal components analysis and harmonic analysis were used to identify the influences of various synoptic-scale climatological phenomena on solar radiation receipt. Generally, an annual cycle was found with maximum percent possible radiation levels occurring in July. In many regions the temporal variance structure deviated from this general annual cycle. The results, which are useful in both theoretical and practical studies, lead to a better understanding of the climatology of solar radiation in the United States.