Spring 2016 Begins…
At the end of January 2016, my capstone has evolved into an examination of relationships between solar radiation levels and land topography. The scientific research into this relationship has been explored more and more in recent years, as the nature of solar radiation levels and impacts on climate shifts and changes to vegetation and hydrology become ever more critical. Among many research papers to be published on the subject, a few notable examples include:
Impact of 3-D topography on surface radiation budget over the Tibetan Plateau; Wei-Liang Lee, et al.; Theoretical & Applied Climatology, July 2013.
GIS-based modelling of topography-induced solar radiation variability in complex terrain for data sparse region; Min Liu, et al.; International Journal of Geographical Information Science; July 2012.
A comparative analysis of DEM-based models to estimate solar radiation in mountainous terrain; J.A. Ruiz-Arias, et al.; International Journal of Geographical Information Science; Aug. 2009.
The land surrounding the Cal State CI campus possesses a wide range of topographical features, from steep canyons to vast flat farmland to stretches of sandy beaches. Using the combined data from solar radiation level collection at specific points along with levels obtained from satellite imagery, a picture can be formed using GIS applications to in essence “map” the solar radiation levels and variability for the area. This work has the potential to be of great use to many fields of science as well as land planning and management.
