Absorption of solar radiation in ponds

Analysis is presented to predict the local rate of solar energy absorption in a pond using the radiative transfer theory. The physical model considers absorption and scattering by the water and internal reflection of radiation from the air-water interface as well as the bottom. A forward scattering approximation and a discrete-coordinate approximation of the radiative transfer equation are discussed. Numerical results for the local volumetric rate of solar energy absorption in the water are presented in the paper for a range of parameters of physical interest. The effects of the directional distribution of solar radiation incident on the water surface, the attenuation of solar radiation by the atmosphere during the diurnal cycle and the modification of the spectral radiation characteristics of water by impurities and additives on the absorption and distribution of the absorbed energy in the pond are investigated.