Insolation measurements made on clear days at Corvallis, Oregon, since the last week of November, 1982, have indicated a decrease of about 14% in the atmospheric clearness index, an increase by a factor of about 2.3 in the ratio of the diffuse sky irradiation to the global irradiation and a decrease of about 28% in the transmittance of the atmosphere for the direct normal solar irradiation compared to the normal, clear-day values. It is felt these anomalies are caused by the increased atmospheric turbidity due to the El Chichon volcanic dust cloud. |