Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Annually averaged solar radiation in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica has varied by over 20 W m−2 during the past three decades; however, the drivers of this variability are unknown. Because small differences in radiation are important to water availability and ecosystem functioning in polar dese...
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ftportlandstate:oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:geology_fac-1130 2023-05-15T13:52:19+02:00 Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Obryk, Maciej K. Fountain, Andrew G. Doran, Peter T. 2018-03-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geology_fac/131 https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=geology_fac unknown PDXScholar https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geology_fac/131 https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=geology_fac Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) Glaciers -- Antarctica Environmental impact analysis Geology Glaciology text 2018 ftportlandstate 2022-01-09T19:48:46Z Annually averaged solar radiation in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica has varied by over 20 W m−2 during the past three decades; however, the drivers of this variability are unknown. Because small differences in radiation are important to water availability and ecosystem functioning in polar deserts, determining the causes are important to predictions of future desert processes. We examine the potential drivers of solar variability and systematically eliminate all but stratospheric sulfur dioxide. We argue that increases in stratospheric sulfur dioxide increase stratospheric aerosol optical depth and decrease solar intensity. Because of the polar location of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (77–78°S) and relatively long solar ray path through the stratosphere, terrestrial solar intensity is sensitive to small differences in stratospheric transmissivity. Important sources of sulfur dioxide include natural (wildfires and volcanic eruptions) and anthropogenic emission. Text Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Portland State University: PDXScholar McMurdo Dry Valleys |
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Portland State University: PDXScholar |
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McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) Glaciers -- Antarctica Environmental impact analysis Geology Glaciology |
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McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) Glaciers -- Antarctica Environmental impact analysis Geology Glaciology Obryk, Maciej K. Fountain, Andrew G. Doran, Peter T. Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) Glaciers -- Antarctica Environmental impact analysis Geology Glaciology |
description |
Annually averaged solar radiation in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica has varied by over 20 W m−2 during the past three decades; however, the drivers of this variability are unknown. Because small differences in radiation are important to water availability and ecosystem functioning in polar deserts, determining the causes are important to predictions of future desert processes. We examine the potential drivers of solar variability and systematically eliminate all but stratospheric sulfur dioxide. We argue that increases in stratospheric sulfur dioxide increase stratospheric aerosol optical depth and decrease solar intensity. Because of the polar location of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (77–78°S) and relatively long solar ray path through the stratosphere, terrestrial solar intensity is sensitive to small differences in stratospheric transmissivity. Important sources of sulfur dioxide include natural (wildfires and volcanic eruptions) and anthropogenic emission. |
format |
Text |
author |
Obryk, Maciej K. Fountain, Andrew G. Doran, Peter T. |
author_facet |
Obryk, Maciej K. Fountain, Andrew G. Doran, Peter T. |
author_sort |
Obryk, Maciej K. |
title |
Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_short |
Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full |
Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Drivers of Solar Radiation Variability in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_sort |
drivers of solar radiation variability in the mcmurdo dry valleys, antarctica |
publisher |
PDXScholar |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geology_fac/131 https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=geology_fac |
geographic |
McMurdo Dry Valleys |
geographic_facet |
McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
op_source |
Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations |
op_relation |
https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geology_fac/131 https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=geology_fac |
_version_ |
1766256597278916608 |