Record-breaking solar radiation observed in Chile, comparable to Venus

Chile is home to a location where solar irradiance, the measure of solar energy striking the earth’s surface, matches that on Venus.

The Chajnantor plateau, a broad, open site that houses numerous astronomical observatories, holds the record for the highest solar irradiance ever documented.

Positioned 5,000 meters above sea level and 40 kilometers east of San Pedro de Atacama in the Antofagasta region of Chile, this location experiences sunlight similar to that received by the International Space Station, orbiting the Earth at an approximate distance of 400 kilometers.

A team of scientists from the University of Santiago, led by climatologist Raúl Cordero, has been monitoring these characteristics on the elevated plateau of the Atacama Desert since 2016.

The recorded average global horizontal shortwave (SW) irradiance is 308 W/m2, equating to an annual irradiance of 2.7 W/m2.

Cordero highlighted that this level of radiation surpasses even that observed at Mount Everest, Earth’s highest point.

“You may presume the radiation there would be superior, but given its distance from the equator, the radiation on the plateau exceeds that on Mount Everest,” clarified Cordero.

He added that the irradiance level is “akin to the radiation on Venus, a planet that resides significantly closer to the Sun,” by approximately 42 million kilometers.

Unlike other parts of the desert, the decision to measure radiation at this location rests on its optimal conditions.

The site generally experiences clear skies throughout the year and relatively low ozone levels, aerosols, and precipitable water.

Cordero elaborated, “Maximum radiation is anticipated at midday under clear skies.”

“However, a particular arrangement of partial cloud cover occasionally enables radiation from both the sun and light reflected off scattered clouds. It’s akin to a magnifying glass effect instigated by the clouds.”

The plateau’s radiation peaks occur during summer solstices and when snowfall descends in the altiplano winter, rendering the surface brighter than typical conditions.

This study’s results, involving researchers from the Universities of Groningen in the Netherlands, Arizona, and Stanford in the U.S., were published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, a leading global meteorological publication.

The study determined that the extreme radiation levels witnessed at Chajnantor are unrivaled worldwide, and the gathered data renders this location ideal for examining the safety, resilience, and design of future photovoltaic power plants resilient to fluctuation.

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