The influence of radiative transfer on the propagation of a temperature wave in a stratified diffusing atmosphere

Abstract

An approximate solution is presented to the problem of the propagation of a temperature wave through a stratified medium which both diffuses and radiates heat. The solution is a combination of two waves whose relative amplitudes vary with the distance from the lower boundary. Apparent diffusivities computed from phase lag and attenuation coefficients can differ greatly from each other and can vary with height even if the actual diffusivity does not.An example, using parameters simulating the earth's atmosphere, suggests that analysis of the propagation of the diurnal wave upward from the earth's surface is likely to be inadequate if radiative effects are not considered.