Biospherical Instruments Inc.

The "State of the Climate in 2014" 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.

A paper by BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard and nine co-authors titled "Comparison of OMI UV observations with ground-based measurements at high northern latitudes" was published by Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The paper validates measurements of the space-borne Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Observations of UV spectroradiometers operated by BSI as part of NSF's Arctic Monitoring Network contributed to this study. The paper is available here.

BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard was invited to become a member of the panel on Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion (EEAP) sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The panel is one of three panels that inform the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on matters arising from ozone depletion and the interaction of climate change. (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.)  More details on this activity are available here.

Biospherical Instruments has just released the GUVis-3511, the latest member of BSI's line of atmospheric radiometers. The GUVis-3511 is based on BSI’s proprietary microradiometer technology and available with up to 19 channels, ranging from 305 to 1,640 nm.  The instrument can also be equipped with a shadowband accessory to determine the direct solar irradiance. Depending on configuration, the GUVis-3511 affords the measurement of the UV Index and the retrieval of aerosol optical depth, cloud optical thickness, and total column ozone. Click here for more information.

The 2013 issue of the "NOAA Arctic Report Card" was released today at a press conference during the meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard is the lead author of two essays on ozone and UV radiation that are part of this report. The Report Card is available here.

A paper by BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard and seven co-authors titled "High levels of ultraviolet radiation observed by ground-based instruments below the 2011 Arctic ozone hole" has been published by Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Measurements at 13 Arctic and Scandinavian locations performed in 2011 are compared with historical data. Observations of UV spectroradiometers operated by BSI as part of NSF's Arctic Monitoring Network contributed to this study. The paper is available here.

BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard was invited to become a co-author for the 2014 assessment on Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion and its Interactions with Climate Change to be published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). More details on this activity are available here. 

Biospherical Instruments will be exhibiting at the OCEANS 2013 MTS/IEEE Conference in San Diego, CA, September 23-26, 2013. The conference is at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center. Come visit us at Booth #236 in the Grand Exhibit Hall.

A paper by BSI senior scientist Dr. Germar Bernhard titled "Trends of solar ultraviolet irradiance at Barrow, Alaska, and the effect of measurement uncertainties on trend detection" has been published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The paper highlights the importance of factors other than ozone on past high-latitude UV levels. The publication is based on data of one of the UV spectroradiometers operated by BSI as part of NSF's Arctic Monitoring Network. The paper is available here.