Atmospheric Scattering

Types

There are 4 types of atmospheric scattering:

  • Rayleigh Scattering: This is the scattering of light by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light.
  • Mie Scattering: This occurs when the particles are about the same size as the wavelength of light. This causes the Tyndall Effect, which is caused by particles of a diameter of less than 1 m.
  • Classical Scattering at small droplets: This is the scattering of light by particles such as dust or small water droplets.
  • Classical Scattering at large droplets: This is the scattering of light by larger particles such as raindrops or snowflakes. This causes the Tyndall Effect if the droplets are transparent.

See also: Tyndall Effect, MOC Climate Processes and Variables