Mapping UV radiation in the East Antarctic sea ice zone ...

• Main Author: Higgins, J
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23208494; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Mapping_UV_radiation_in_the_East_Antarctic_sea_ice_zone/23208494

Ozone depletion has been a well-researched phenomenon since its discovery in the early 1980s. It is now scientifically accepted that if all other factors (cloudiness, turbidity, surface albedo, etc.) remain the same, decreases in stratospheric ozone concentrations provoke an increase in ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (in the wavelength range 280-325 nm) at the Earth's surface. Experimental evidence also shows that exposure to UVB radiation can decrease algal productivity, and cause damage to various forms of aquatic larvae and other organisms. Biologically-effective levels of solar UV radiation penetrate water columns well, especially in the clear waters found in the Antarctic pack ice zone. To determine the relationship (if any) between increased biologically-weighted UV doses and damage to various Antarctic organisms, scientists need to know the magnitude of these increases, not only at the surface but throughout the ice and the water column. This research initially produced surface maps of levels of ...