Estimates of a Midge Contribution to the Extinction of Optical Radiation in Background Summer Conditions of Western Siberia

Abstract—The first estimates of a midge contribution to extinction of optical radiation for background summer conditions of Western Siberia are received. The radiation extinction coefficient due to midges (RECM), found from experimental data at a wavelength of 1.06 μm, changes from 0 to 0.14 km^–1. An estimate of the mean RECM value in visible and infrared regions is 0.07 km^–1. It is shown that the relative contribution of midges to the extinction coefficient of optical radiation in the 0.5–16 μm band is significant and varies on average from 26 to 63%.