Satellite and ground measurements of solar erythemal UV radiation and ozone in Argentina

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 34; no. 10; pp. 2221 - 2226
• Main Authors: Piacentini, R.D., Luccini, E., Micheletti, M.I., Quel, E., Wolfram, E.A., Pazmiño, A.F., Fochesatto, J., Crino, E., Cede, A., Blumthaler, M., Herman, J., Godin-Beekmann, S., Mégie, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Argentina; Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics; Ozone; Physics; Satellite and ground measurements; Solar erythermal UV radiation; TOMS measurements; Ozone; Argentina; Satellite and ground measurements; Solar erythermal UV radiation; TOMS measurements
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2003.07.058

Solar erythemal UV radiation incident on Argentina from tropical to high latitude regions has been measured with ground-based instruments as well as with the TOMS instrument on board of the NASA Earth-Probe satellite. These data permit validation of the UV index, a measure of solar risk to UV exposure, forecasted daily by CONAE (Argentina National Commission on Space Activities) and the Argentine National Weather Service. Model calculations of this index are also presented. In addition, we analyzed the UV effects from the Antarctic ozone hole passing over the continental part of the country using TOMS data corrected by a factor derived from the intercomparison of TOMS satellite data with those determined with Southern Hemisphere ground-based spectroradiometers. In this way, we obtained a rather comprehensive description of the amount of erythemal UV radiation and consequently of the UV index for the entire country, as well as the ozone total column and profile (the latter one at Buenos Aires). The results presented in this work were determined through collaboration between the following institutions: GSFC/NASA in USA, Institute Pierre Simon Laplace in France, University of Innsbruck in Austria and CEILAP, IFIR, CONAE, SMN, Universities of Rosario and San Luis in Argentina. The need to use erythemal irradiance and ozone results in Argentina, one of the most exposed regions of the Southern Hemisphere to study the effects of ozone depletion and consequently UV detrimental effects, has been partially covered in the framework of this North–South collaboration.