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1 UV increase due to ozone loss |
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2 ============================= |
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3 |
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4 The chemical depletion of ozone in the stratosphere causes an increase |
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5 of ultraviolet radiation on the ground. The UV index is a measure of |
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6 the danger of the UV radiation. It corresponds to the |
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7 sunburn-effective solar irradiance. |
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8 |
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9 This is a sample calculation [#FN1]_, how the UV index typically |
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10 changes at a certain latitude in winter and spring. Shown are |
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11 noontime values of the UV index at clear sky for the range of the |
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12 observed ozone columns of the years 2000 and 2012 (black) and |
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13 corresponding values for a given decrease the ozone column (blue). The |
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14 selection of the two values for geographical latitude and ozone loss |
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15 can be altered. The anthropogenically induced polar ozone depletion |
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16 takes place within the polar vortex, which in winter and spring is |
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17 well separated from the mid-latitudes. After the breakdown of the |
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18 polar vortex (in the Northern hemisphere typically at the latest in |
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19 early April), ozone-rich air from mid-latitudes will be transported |
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20 back into the polar regions. |
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21 |
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22 In contrast to the Southern hemisphere, there are typically no |
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23 significant increases tO very high UV indices in polar high latitudes |
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24 in the Northern hemisphere in the relevant period until April. |
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25 |
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26 These graphs show how the maximum UV index (at noontime at clear sky) |
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27 would change due to ozone depletion in the Arctic polar vortex. |
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35 .. [#FN1] The mean values and standard deviations of the ozone columns were calculated from the database of Bodeker-Scientific (http://www.bodekerscientific.com). Calculation of the UV index for cloudless sky according to the method of Allaart et al. (Meteorological Applications, 11, 59-65, 2004) |