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Biospherical Instruments contributed to a paper presenting a new method to derive the "colored dissolved organic matter" (CDOM) spectral absorption coefficient at 440 nm from above- and in-water optical observations. The method is based on one- and two-band sensors and is considerable more economical than legacy measurement techniques. Sensors are also suitable for integration in autonomous systems. The paper is available here.

A paper by BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard titled "Measurements of spectral irradiance during the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017: reassessment of the effect of solar limb darkening and of changes in total ozone" was published by Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions today. The paper is currently under reivew and is available here.

The research is based on measurements with a GUVis-3511 radiometer during the total solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. Data were used to study the wavelength-dependent changes of solar radiation at Earth’s surface and to validate parameterizations of solar limb darkening (LD), which describes the change of the Sun’s brightness between its center and its edge. The study highlights the importance of the LD effect when calculating total ozone and aerosol optical depth during an eclipse.

A paper describing a new method for estimating UV fluxes at ground level in cloud-free conditions ws published today in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. The method is part of a larger project whose overarching goal is to create an operational tool for estimating UV fluxes in support of climate models. The paper is available here.

A paper by BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard and two co-authors titled "Retrieving Vertical Ozone Profiles from Measurements of Global Spectral Irradiance" was published by Atmospheric Measurement Techniques today. The paper presents a new method for calculating the vertical distribution of ozone from measurements of global spectral irradiance. The method was developed using spectral measurements of our SUV-150B spectroradiometer at Summit, Greenland. The paper is available here.

BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard attends the meeting of the Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion Panel (EEAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The panel provides annual updates on matters arising from ozone depletion and the interaction of climate change to inform the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.  (The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to protect the Earth’s ozone layer.) 

BSI performed measurements with a GUVis-3511 during the 2017 total solar eclipse. An in-depth article about the campaign is here.

The "State of the Climate in 2016" report was published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today.  The report is the latest edition of a series of annual updates on dozens of climate variables that define the states of the atmosphere, the land, the oceans, and the cryosphere.  BSI's senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard was the lead author on the section on Ozone and UV radiation in the Arctic. He has contributed similar essays to previous editions of the report. The publication is available here.

After the expiration of our NSF grant titled "Ultraviolet Radiation in the Arctic: 2012-2015", the NSF has asked us to terminate measurements with the SUV-150B spectroradiometer at Summit, Greenland. The last measurements were performed today. The instrument will be returned to BSI and hopefully deployed at a new location in the future.

The "State of the Climate in 2015" report was published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today.  The report is the latest edition of a series of annual updates on dozens of climate variables that define the states of the atmosphere, the land, the oceans, and the cryosphere.  BSI's senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard was the lead author on the section on Ozone and UV radiation in the Arctic. He has contributed similar essays to previous editions of the report. The publication is available here.

After the expiration of our three NSF grant titled "Ultraviolet Radiation in the Arctic: 2012-2015", spectral UV measurements with the SUV-100 spectroradiometer at Barrow, Alaska, came to an end today. Instruments may continue in the future at the nearby NOAA facility.