Turbidity Factor
turbidity factor
[tər′bid·əd·ē ‚fak·tər]Turbidity Factor
a quantitative characterization of the transparency of the atmosphere, which indicates the extent to which the transparency of the actual atmosphere under given conditions differs from the transparency of an ideal (ideally clean and absolutely dry) atmosphere. There are a number of turbidity factors. The most widely used is the Linke turbidity factor, Tm ═ in pm/ln qm, where pm and qm are the transmission coefficients of the actual and ideal atmospheres, respectively, with an atmospheric mass of m (a dimensionless quantity characterizing the atmospheric “mass” through which the beam passes).