Solar ultraviolet irradiance measurements in Aosta (Italy): An analysis of short- and middle-term spectral variability Free

A general algorithm to estimate atmospheric and environmental parameters from solar spectral irradiance was developed. Total ozone amounts retrieved from a high-quality series of global solar ultraviolet irradiance spectra show large correlation (ρ=0.99) to the values measured by a MKIV Brewer spectrophotometer. The effective albedo also retrieved by the algorithm was compared to MODIS satellite estimates giving good agreement (correlation index ρ=0.63). Moreover, the influence of snow cover on the UV irradiance at ground was assessed. Finally, a new extraterrestrial spectrum was tested and systematic differences between measured and modeled irradiance spectra are discussed.