Inter annual variability of surface solar radiation over Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

In this study, the variability and trends of surface radiation over the Iberian Peninsula using ERA40 reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are examined. Monthly means of surface incident and net shortwave radiation for 40 years are computed and analyzed. Deviations from the temporal mean for each month and for each year are computed and variations discussed. The relation between the interannual variability of solar radiation over Iberian Peninsula and the cloud cover is analyzed. The trends of surface radiation for each month during the past decades are computed and discussed.