Modeling of UV Penetration Through the Atmosphere and Ocean

The ozone layer provides an effective shield against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Most of the ozone in the atmosphere is located in the stratosphere between 20 and 30 km above the Earth’s surface. In addition to ozone, aerosols and clouds alter the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the biosphere. In this paper we discuss how to compute the ultraviolet radiation at the ground and at various levels in the ocean. This will allow us to assess how changes in ozone abundance, aerosol loading and cloud cover will influence UV exposure. As will be discussed the modeling of UV penetration through the atmosphere is at a relatively mature stage compared to the modeling of UV penetration through the combined atmosphere/ocean system.