UVB radiation changes in Berlin between 1967 and 1990 following alterations in the ozone layering

Abstract

Long-term measurements covering the past 24 yr in the vicinity of the city of Berlin have shown that ozone has increased in the troposphere and in the middle stratosphere and has decreased in the lower stratosphere. The total ozone column amount, however, has remained constant. Possible changes of the UV irradiance [280 nm ⩽ λ ⩽ 320 nm (UVB)], due to this observed vertical ozone redistribution, have been calculated. The analysis reveals an UVB irradiance increase at those times of each year where maximum ozone concentrations have occurred as well as during summer times. On the contrary, UVB has remained unchanged whenever ozone concentrations were minimal. In any case, however, the UVB irradiance oscillates with the sunspot cycle of ~ 11 yr period with an amplitude ⪝1%.