STRATEGY FOR A UV-B MONITORING NETWORK: VERIFICATION, CALIBRATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF THE "OZONE HOLE" THE MONITORING OF LONG TERM TRENDS AND GEOGRAPHICAL VARIABILITY OF UV IRRADIANCE AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR ENVIRONMENT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT. THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED TO DEPLOY NETWORKS OF SUITABLE INSTRUMENTATION YET THERE APPEARS TO BE NO SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF AGREEMENT THAT SUITABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES EVEN EXIST. THIS PROPOSED EFFORT WILL DEVELOP ALL THE METHODOLOGY REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE MONITORING NETWORKS COMPOSED OF INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AND THUS ARE POTENTIALLY READY FOR DEPLOYMENT. INHERENT IN THIS EFFORT IS THE NECESSITY TO ADDRESS CRITICAL QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES THAT MUST BE MET TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL CONCENTRATE ON DEVELOPING AND DEMONSTRATING STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYING SIMPLE FILTER-BASED RADIOMETERS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF YIELDING A FULL SUITE OF MEASUREMENTS OF UV-B IMPACT AS INFLUENCED BY CHANGES IN OZONE CONCENTRATION AND OTHER PARAMETERS SENSITIVE TO GLOBAL CHANGE SUCH AS CLOUD COVER.