160 



HOWARD E. PULLING 



water vapor, between wave lengths 0.47/* and 0.76/z; the shortest 

 wave length unquestionably absorbed in our atmosphere in 

 this region is given at 0.586m and is a water vapor band. In 

 addition to these there is probably some absorption in the ultra- 

 violet, and a great deal of absorption in the infra-red. 



The great majority of these absorption bands are so narrow 

 that their effects are similar to those of the Frauenhofer lines. 

 At wave lengths greater than 0.67^, however, wide terrestrial 

 absorption bands occur. 14 An idea of the position of these 



Fig. 3. Graphs of the effects of some atmospheric constituents upon solar 

 radiation. 



bands and their relative energy absorption may be gained 

 from figure 3 which was obtained by converting a graph by 

 Fowle 14 to normal scale. The data for the various bands in 

 table 2 were taken from Fowle's paper. A number of fine 



14 Fowle, F. E., The transparency of aqueous vapor. Astrophys. J. 42: 

 394-411. 1915. 



Paschen, F., Ueber die Emission der Gase. Ann. Physik. Chem. (N. F.)' 

 52: 209-237. 1894. 



