Ultraviolet(UV) Radiation Measurement in Africa

Surface solar ultraviolet radiation measurement is uneasy task due to the characteristics of the determining factors like aerosol, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone and precipitation. We found this study important for travelers, tourists, industries, infrastructure builders, farmers, health practitioners and radiation researchers for ultraviolet radiation in excess affects health (causes skin cancer and eye disease called cataract), infrastructure, yield of crops, and service time of industrial products. In this research, different models have been devised that have considered the effects of those factors in the continent of Africa. Based on our models, ozone has the highest contribution for the increase or decrease of surface UV, clouds have moderate contribution and aerosols have the least contribution. The amount of skin burning UV (erythermal UV) in Africa is high. According to the world standard the possible ranges of erythermal UV is from 4 to 9 in UV index (UVI) (Moderate to High).

Autorentext

Gemechu Fanta is a young lecturer and researcher at Ambo University. Before joining Ambo University, College of Natural and Computational Sciences he obtained Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Physics from Addis Ababa University, specializing in Atmospheric Physics and Remote Sensing, and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from Hawassa University.