Hopkins, Emily Elaine

South Florida summers are characterized by small intense convective storms which lead to extreme variations in local cloud cover. Estimating insolation from high-resolution satellite data accounts for these variations. A statistical model is presented for estimating incident solar radiation (insolation) using 1km x 1km resolution visible images from the GOES8 satellite. The model relates insolation to top-of-the-atmosphere radiation, readily available climate data, and cloud cover (from the satellite). Regression coefficients were developed and verified based on one month of insolation measurements from eight ground-based measurement stations operated by the South Florida Water Management District. The model allows almost continuous areal estimation of daily or hourly insolation at resolutions suitable for small-scale hydrologic modeling. Model estimates are comparable to measured values at ground stations and superior to estimates derived from interpolating between ground stations.