ULTRAVIOLET SOLAR RADIATION IN THE HIGH LATITUDES OF SOUTH AMERICA

Abstract

Abstract Measurements of the UV solar irradiance are available from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego during the spring and summer seasons of 4 consecutive years beginning in 1989. In addition, column ozone amounts derived from satellite‐based measurements exist for this location over the entire period from 1980 through 1991. Monthly mean column ozone over Ushuaia shows a general decline over the observing period, and a large day‐to‐day variability exists within a given month. Ozone amounts for the years 1980 through 1986 combined with a model of radiative transfer provide a climatological baseline against which to interpret the more recent ground‐based irradiance data. We focus on monthly mean noontime irradiances integrated over 5 nm wide spectral bands near 305 nm and 340 nm, respectively. Measurements in the 340 nm band show that cloudiness has a large influence on both the absolute monthly mean irradiances and their interannual variability. For example, during December the 340 nm band irradiance varied from approximately 50% of the clear‐sky value in 1992 to 65% in 1991. When the influence of cloudiness is removed, most of the months show irradiances in the 305 nm band that are larger than predicted from the climatological ozone amounts. The largest percentage enhancement occurred in October 1991 when the irradiance exceeded the baseline by 56%. The largest absolute irradiances occur in December, where the measurements range from 5.8% below the baseline in 1991 to 31% above in 1990.