UV irradiance and albedo at Union Glacier Camp (Antarctica): a case study

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 5;9(3):e90705. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090705. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We report on the first spectral measurements of ultraviolet (UV) irradiance and the albedo at a Camp located in the southern Ellsworth Mountains on the broad expanse of Union Glacier (700 m altitude, 79° 46' S; 82° 52'W); about 1,000 km from the South Pole. The measurements were carried out by using a double monochromator-based spectroradiometer during a campaign (in December 2012) meant to weight up the effect of the local albedo on the UV irradiance. We found that the albedo measured at noon was about 0.95 in the UV and the visible part of the spectrum. This high surface reflectivity led to enhancements in the UV index under cloudless conditions of about 50% in comparison with snow free surfaces. Spectral measurements carried out elsewhere as well as estimates retrieved from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) were used for further comparisons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antarctic Regions
  • Geological Phenomena*
  • Ice Cover*
  • Ozone
  • Satellite Communications
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Time Factors
  • Ultraviolet Rays*

Substances

  • Ozone

Grants and funding

Although the support of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Guayaquil, ECUADOR), CONICYT-REDES (Preis 130047), CONICYT-BMBF, FONDEF (IT13I10034), FONDECYT (Preis 1120639, 1140239 and Preis 1120764), Millennium Scientific Initiative (P10-061-F), CEDENNA, UTA-Project 8750-12, USACH-DICYT ASOCIATIVO, and UTFSM-DGIP, is gratefully acknowledged, the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.