Abstract
The South-East Asian region experienced a haze episode in 1994 which was widely believed to be due to widespread forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesia). Broadband measurements of the surface level solar ultraviolet-B, UV-A and Global radiation at Penang (Malaysia) are used to study the effect of the 1994 haze on effective UV-B irradiance. We find that during the haze episode, there is enhanced absorption of surface level UV-B radiation. The effect of haze on UV-A and Global radiation is much less. The reduction in absolute noon time UV-B irradiance (mostly cloud free) during the 1994 haze period was 23% relative to the UV-B irradiance during thecorresponding haze-free period in 1995. Even though the noon time radiation data minimizes the cloud effect in the results presented some cloud effect is still present.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andreae, M. O., 1995: The Biomass burning experiment: Impact of fire on the atmosphere and biosphere, BIBEX, IGAC Focus 2, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Bodhaine, B. A., Dutton, E. G., Hofmann, D. J., McKenzie, R. L., and Johnston, P. V., 1998: Calibrating broadband UV instruments: Ozone and solar zenith angle dependence, J. Atmos. and Oceanic Technol. 15, 916–925.
Bruhl, C. and Crutzen, P. J., 1989: On the disproportionate role of tropospheric ozone as a filter against solar UV-B radiation, Geophys. Res. Lett. 16, 703–706.
Chameides, W. L., Fehsenfeld, F., Rodgers, M. O., Cardelino, C., Martinez, J., Parrish, D., Lonneman, W., Lawson, D. R., Rasmussen, R. A., Zimmerman, P., Greenberg, J., Middleton, P., and Wang, T., 1992: Ozone precursor relationships in the ambient atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 6037–6055.
Coakley Jr., J.A., Cess, R. D., and Yurevich, F. B., 1983: The effect of tropospheric aerosol on the Earth's radiation budget: A parameterization for climate models, J. Atmos. Sci. 40, 116.
Collins, W. J., Stevenson, D. S., Johnson, C. E., and Derwent, R. G., 1997: Tropospheric ozone in a global-scale three-dimensional lagrangian model and its response to NOx emission controls, J. Atmos. Chem. 26, 223–274.
Crutzen, P. J. and Andreae, M. O., 1990: Biomass burning in the tropics: Impact on atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical cycles, Science 250, 1669–1678.
Crutzen, P. J., Heidt, L. E., Krasnec, J. P., Pollock, W. H., and Seiler, W., 1979: Biomass burning as a source of atmospheric gases CO, H2, N2O, NO, CH3CL and COS, Nature 282, 253–256.
Feister, U. and Grewe, R., 1995: Higher UV radiation inferred from low ozone levels at northern mid-latitudes in 1992 and 1993, Global and Planetary Change 11, 25–34.
Frenkiel, F. N., 1959: Tropospheric ozone. IUGG Symposium on Atmospheric Ozone, Oxford, 20–25 July 1959, IUGG Monograph 3, 33–36.
Hameed, S. and Dignon, J., 1991: Global emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides in fossil fuel combustion 1970–1986, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 42, 159–163.
Ilyas, M. and Apandi, A. B., 1979: Measurements of erythemal ultraviolet dosage at Penang, Med. J. Malaysia 34, 181–183.
Ilyas, M. and Barton, I. J., 1983: Surface dosage of erythemal solar ultraviolet radiation near the equator, Atmos. Environ. 17, 2069–2073.
Ilyas, M., 1992: Atmospheric science research in Malaysia: Perspectives on international cooperation, Asia-Pacific Seminar on Global Change Research Cooperation, Science and Technology Agency, Research Development Corporation of Japan, pp. 160–164.
Ilyas, M., 1993: UV radiation in the tropics, in Frontiers of Photobiology, Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp. 523–526.
Kerr, J. B., 1997: Observed dependencies of atmospheric UV radiation and trends, in C. S. Zerefos and A. F. Bais (eds), NATO ASI series 152, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 259–266.
Kipp &; Zonen Delft BV. Instruction manual-pyranometer CM 11, Delft, Holland.
Kirchhoff, V. W. J. H., Nakamura, Y., Marinho, E. V. A., and Mariano, M. M., 1992: Excess ozone production in Amazonia from large scale burnings, J. Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics 54, 583–588.
MMS, 1994: Report on air quality in Malaysia. Malaysian Meteorological Service, Technical Note No. 54, 3.1–4.2.
Neff, J. C., Keller, M., Holland, E. A., Weitz, A. W., and Veldkamp, E., 1995: Fluxes of nitric oxide from soils following the clearing and burning of a secondary tropical rain forest, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 25 913–25 922.
Singapore Meteorological Service, 1995: Smoke haze over Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, WMO Bulletin 44, 147–150.
SORG, Stratospheric Ozone, 1993: United Kingdom Stratospheric Ozone Review Group, HMSO, London, pp 11–19.
Teh, K. P., 1999: Study of Equatorial Ozone Layer and Thermal Structure, MSc Thesis, University of Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
Tsuruta, H., Yonemura, S., Leong, C. P., and Lim, S. F., 1997: The increase of tropospheric ozone over Peninsular Malaysia by the 1994 forest fires in tropical east Asia. International Symposium on Atmospheric Chemistry and Future Global Environment, 11–13 November 1997, Nagoya, Japan, pp. 102–103.
UNEP, 1991: Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion: 1991 Update, United Nations Environmental Programme.
Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc., 1991: Instruction Manual-Model UVB-1 Ultraviolet Pyranometer, Turners Falls, U.S.A.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ilyas, M., Pandy, A. & Jaafar, M.S. Changes to the Surface Level Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation Due to Haze Perturbation. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 40, 111–121 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011999026576
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011999026576