a survey of the modelling and rendering of the earth's atmosphere
One of the extensively researched fields in todays computer graphics are techniques for simulation and visualisation of various natural phenomena. This state of the art report is a survey of the methods for modelling and rendering of the cloudless Earth's atmosphere and related light effects. A physically based lighting model describing the light propagation through the atmosphere is presented. The model takes into account absorption and scattering by particles suspended in the atmosphere and can be used for computing the colour of the sky. Combining the lighting model with the various atmospheric constituents (clear dry air, aerosols, ice crystals) and their properties one can reproduce lighting effects such as rainbow, halo or colour of the sky during the sunset. We also collect the relevant informations of the physical properties of the major atmospheric constituents.
light scattering atmospheric effects modelling of natural phenomena photo-realistic image synthesis