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Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate
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Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate
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| Home | Initiatives | Organisation | Publications | Meetings | Acronyms and Abbreviations | Useful Links |
The purpose of this NATO Advanced Study Institute was to provide the state of the art on the UV radiation transfer through the atmosphere and its biological and other photochemical consequences.
The UV-B chapter of the course included:
a) Long-term trends: Lack of reliable measurements inhibits the detection of long-term trends. In addition, complicated processes occurring during the UV transmission through the atmosphere are possibly masking the expected ozone depletion. The atmospheric aerosol content, various natural or anthropogenic interfering gases and the cloud cover are potential sources of uncertainty in the trends. Only in the areas of major ozone losses (Arctic and Antarctic) there is strong evidence of UV radiation increases, so there is still an open question on "what is the situation in middle and low latitudes".
b) Biological consequences of increasing UV radiation: There are only a few occasions where atmospheric physicists and biologists join their expertise on this. It is essential that studies of the UV effects on man and on ecosystems be available to those concerned with the atmospheric science. Both categories of scientists should be aware of the needs and capabilities of each other.
c) Modelling of UV transfer through the atmosphere: A variety of models are currently in use and their uncertainty is reduced as new and more reliable data become available.
d) Measurements and calibration: There is an increasing demand for accurate UV measurements. Latest improvements on the quality of such measurements resulted in better understanding of both the UV transfer and its biological consequences. More accurate calibration methods have reduced the existing uncertainty.
In addition to tutorial lectures, several presentations on the atmospheric physics and UV-B transfer and UV measurements were given and the ASI students have presented their work. The ASI concluded with a visit to the Lab. of Atm. Phys. of the Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki.
A NATO ASI publication containing the lectures and reviewed presentations is planned to be published in early 1997 from Springer-Verlag.
Christos Zerefos