Observation of solar UV radiation and total ozone column using ground based instruments in Rio Gallegos, Argentina (51°36'S, 69°19'W)

Abstract

As a part of environmental studies in the southern hemisphere, the CEILAP (UNIDEF-MINDEF) Lidar Division with the financial support of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and the collaboration of LATMOS, France mounted a ground based remote sensing site at Río Gallegos city (51º 36'S, 69º 19'W), at southern part of Argentina. The site called Atmospheric Observatory of Southern Patagonia (OAPA) has carried out systematic measurements of stratospheric ozone with lidar remote sensing techniques and passive sensors to measure solar UV irradiance from 2005. The Patagonian region is affected each spring season by the polar vortex which produces depletion in the total ozone column increasing the UV radiation that reaches the surface. In this work we report the results of total ozone column and UV radiation from different passive instruments as SAOZ and multichannel GUV-541 radiometer. A correlation between both instruments has been established to Río Gallegos in the period 2005-2011. Also we have taken into account the cloud cover that produces strong impact in the the amount of the UV radiation that reach the ground surface. We reported different cases of study where the OAPA site was inside of polar vortex