11: Atmospheric Optics
- Page ID
- 46840
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Figure 11.1: Rainbow over the Ala Wai Canal in Hawaii. (CC-BY-SA 4.0, Shintaro Russell via Atmospheric Processes and Phenomena).
The color of our world is defined by the interaction of objects with light. In fact, the reason we can see anything at all is the interaction of objects with light. Light can be thought of as both a particle and a wave. In this chapter, we’ll consider light only as a wave defined by some wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Explain why the sky is blue, and clouds are white
- Describe how one can observe a rainbow
- Determine from visibility whether objects are close or far away
- 11.1: Visible Light and Scattering
- This page explores color perception through light's interaction with objects, emphasizing the electromagnetic spectrum and atmospheric effects. It covers Rayleigh scattering, which causes the blue sky, and Mie scattering, which makes clouds appear white. The page also explains geometric optics in rainbow formation, detailing how light refracts and reflects in raindrops to create rainbows, including the differences between primary and secondary rainbows.
- 11.2: Visibility
- This page highlights visibility as a crucial aspect of light interaction in Earth's atmosphere, measuring how far one can see under various conditions. It identifies factors such as particulate matter, aerosols, and hydrometeors that scatter light, affecting visibility.
- 11.3: Exercises for Chapter 11
- Some exercises to review the topics covered in this chapter.
Thumbnail: Rainbow over the Ala Wai Canal in Hawaii by Shintaro Russell is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.