The Ultraviolet Radiation Environment of Antarctica

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The decrease in stratospheric ozone over Antarctica during the Austral spring has prompted concern over potential biological effects of an enhanced solar ultraviolet radiation flux. Although few life forms inhabit the Antarctic continent itself, the potential impacts on oceanic and coastal organisms are issues which merit further study. Furthermore, the situation provides an opportunity to test models of atmospheric transmittance of ultraviolet radiation as a function of ozone concentration. Frederick proposes to define the climatology of ultraviolet radiation over Antarctica and the nearby ocean. Measurements of ultraviolet radiation will be taken before, during, and after the period of springtime ozone depletion, using scanning spectroradiometers located at three Antarctic stations (South Pole, Palmer, and McMurdo). Frederick has developed a two-stream radiative transfer model which includes absorption by ozone, multiple Rayleigh scattering, reflection from a lower boundary, and scattering by clouds. Ultraviolet radiation climatology will be developed for the entire Antarctic region over the sunlit portion of an entire year using ground- based data at the available sites, satellite measurements of ozone over the continent, and a set of radiative transfer calculations based on Frederick's model. In addition, data will be used to evaluate the health and biological consequences of the ambient levels of ultraviolet radiation.