Correlation of Biologically Effective UV-B Irradiance versus Ozone at Visakhapatnam (17.7 deg North, 83.3 deg East)

Abstract

Ground reaching biologically effective UV-B irradiance will be affected by various atmospheric parameters, such as: ozone, solar zenith angle, earth-sun distance, clouds, aerosols, etc. Ozone is a main component in the lower atmosphere which controls incoming UV-B irradiance. It is a known fact that total column ozone and ground reaching UV-B irradiance are inversely correlated. The aim of this paper is to study the correlation between biologically effective UV-B and ozone at coastal urban location Visakhapatnam. A regression model that was developed with measurements made by a UV-B photometer operated at Visakhapatnam in 1990 (Krishna Prasad et.al. 2005) is now reused to estimate the incoming UV-B irradiance by inputting satellite measured TOMS ozone for the year 2010. In the analyzed period (January 2010 - December 2010) variation of estimated UV-B irradiance with ozone for different wavelengths is found for different zenith angles. The correlation between estimated UV-B irradiance and TOMS ozone in this station has been studied and results are presented in this paper.