Contribution of Ultraviolet Irradiance Variations to Changes in the Sun's Total Irradiance

The sun's total irradiance decreased from 1980 to mid-1985, remained approximately constant until mid-1987, and has recently begun to increase. This time interval covered the decrease in solar activity from the maximum of solar cycle 21 to solar minimum and the onset of cycle 22. The sun's ultraviolet irradiance also decreased during the descending phase of cycle 21 and, like the total irradiance, is now increasing concurrently with the increase in cycle 22 activity. Although only 1 percent of the sun's energy is emitted at ultraviolet wavelengths between 200 and 300 nanometers, the decrease in this radiation from 1 July 1981 to 30 June 1985 accounted for 19 percent of the decrease in the total irradiance over the same period.     

Observed ozone response to variations in solar ultraviolet radiation

During the winter of 1979, the solar ultraviolet irradiance varied with a period of 13.5 days and an amplitude of 1 percent. The zonal mean ozone values in the tropics varied with the solar irradiance, with an amplitude of 0.25 to 0.60 percent. This observation agrees with earlier calculations, although the response may be overestimated. These results imply changes in ozone at an altitude of 48 kilometers of up to 12 percent over an 11-year solar cycle. Interpretation of ozone changes in the upper stratosphere will require measurements of solar ultraviolet radiation at wavelengths near 200 nanometers.     

Astronomy and solar physics: measurement of the solar spectral irradiance from 200 to 3000 nanometers

The solar spectrum experiment on Spacelab 1 measured 98 percent of the sun's total energy output. It improved the absolute accuracy of solar irradiance data, especially in the ultraviolet and infrared regions. In order to detect any variation in the spectrum on future shuttle flights, the data were obtained in a radiation scale that can be preserved with high precision over many years. The instrument performance and preliminary data reduction are described.     

An empirical model of total solar irradiance variation between 1874 and 1988

An empirical model of variations in the total solar irradiance caused by observed changes in photospheric magnetic activity between 1874 and 1988 is presented. The model provides a remarkably good representation of the irradiance variations observed by satellite-borne radiometers between 1980 and 1988. It suggests that the mean total irradiance has been rising steadily since about 1945, with the largest peak so far at about 1980 and another large peak expected during the current solar cycle 22. But it is doubtful whether even this rise can contribute significantly to global warming, unless the temperature increase of about 0.02 degrees C that it produces in current energy balance models seriously underestimates the sensitivity of climate to solar irradiance changes.     

Length of the solar cycle: an indicator of solar activity closely associated with climate

It has recently been suggested that the solar irradiance has varied in phase with the 80- to 90-year period represented by the envelope of the 11-year sunspot cycle and that this variation is causing a significant part of the changes in the global temperature. This interpretation has been criticized for statistical reasons and because there are no observations that indicate significant changes in the solar irradiance. A set of data that supports the suggestion of a direct influence of solar activity on global climate is the variation of the solar cycle length. This record closely matches the long-term variations of the Northern Hemisphere land air temperature during the past 130 years.     

A model of solar luminosity modulation by magnetic activity between 1954 and 1984

A simple model based on the changes in excess radiation from bright magnetic faculae and on changes in reduced radiation from dark spots is remarkably successful in matching the slow variations of total solar irradiance measured simultaneously by the ERB and ACRIM satellite radiometers between 1981 and 1984. This model was extended back to 1954 to reconstruct the modulation of irradiance by magnetic activity during the past three 11-year solar cycles. The model predicts that the sun is consistently brighter at activity maximum than at minimum. The 0.07 percent brightening at the peak of the last cycle in 1980 was more pronounced than the brightenings found for either of the two previous cycles, even though cycle 19, which peaked around 1957, had the largest sunspot number amplitude in the history of reliable sunspot records.     

太阳辐射减弱和臭氧浓度增加对大豆荧光特性与产量的影响

【目的】研究太阳辐射减弱和臭氧（O3）浓度增加单因子及复合作用条件下对大豆荧光特性与产量的影响,为应对两因素对我国农作物的不利影响提供基础理论依据。【方法】以八月黄大豆品种为试材,采用大田开顶式气室（OTC）进行太阳辐射减弱和O3浓度增加单因子及其复合条件下对大豆荧光特性与产量的影响试验。试验设4个处理,分别为：CK（不通O3、不作辐射减弱处理）、T1（不通O3,辐射减弱20％）、T2（100nL／LO3处理）、T3（100nL／LO3和辐射减弱20％复合处理）。【结果】相对于CK,T1、T2、T3处理条件下大豆的Pm、Ik、Yield、qP显著下降;L（PFD）、NPQ、Y（NPQ）、（1-qP）／NPQ显著增大;T1、T2、T3处理对快速光响应曲线的初始斜率（α）没有明显影响;T1处理对Fv/Fm值无明显影响,T2、T3处理的Fv/Fm。值显著下降;T1处理的Y（NO）值显著增大,T2处理的Y（NO）值显著减小,而T3处理没有显著改变Y（NO）值。相对于CK,T1、T2、T3处理条件下大豆的固氮能力、生物量和产量均显著降低,且呈T1〈T2〈T3的趋势。【结论】太阳辐射减弱和O3浓度增加复合条件下相对于单因子胁迫具有更明显的胁迫效应,但复合效应小于单因子胁迫效应的简单累加。太阳辐射减弱和O3浓度增加在很大程度上影响了大豆的光合作用,造成大豆减产。     

Spectrum line intensity as a surrogate for solar irradiance variations

Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) solar constant measurements from 1980 to 1986 are compared with ground-based, irradiance spectrophotometry of selected Fraunhofer lines. Both data sets were identically sampled and smoothed with an 85-day running mean, and the ACRIM total solar irradiance (S) values were corrected for sunspot blocking (S(c)). The strength of the mid-photospheric manganese 539.4-nanometer line tracks almost perfectly with ACRIM S(e), Other spectral features formed high in the photosphere and chromosphere also track well. These comparisons independently confirm the variability in the ACRIM S(e), signal, indicate that the source of irradiance is faculae, and indicate that ACRIM S(e), follows the 11-year activity cycle.     

The Impact of Solar Variability on Climate

A general circulation model that simulated changes in solar irradiance and stratospheric ozone was used to investigate the response of the atmosphere to the 11-year solar activity cycle. At solar maximum, a warming of the summer stratosphere was found to strengthen easterly winds, which penetrated into the equatorial upper troposphere, causing poleward shifts in the positions of the subtropical westerly jets, broadening of the tropical Hadley circulations, and poleward shifts of the storm tracks. These effects are similar to, although generally smaller in magnitude than, those observed in nature. A simulation in which only solar irradiance was changed showed a much weaker response.     

Astronomy and solar physics: solar irradiance observations

The absolute radiometer on Spacelab 1 was used to obtain solar irradiance observations from space. A number of effects must be taken into account in the data reduction. A provisional value was obtained for the mean solar constant during the observation period (6 to 8 December 1983).     

太阳辐射减弱对冬小麦灌浆期叶绿素荧光及气体交换的影响

以冬小麦为供试材料,在大用试验条件下研究了模拟太阳辐射减弱对冬小麦旗叶光合色素、叶绿素荧光参数及气体交换的影响.试验中设计了15％、20％ 、40％ 、60％和100％(CK)自然太阳总辐射5种太阳总辐射处理,同时采用Diving-PAM叶绿素荧光仪和LCpro+光合仪测定了不同灌浆阶段作物叶绿素荧光及气体交换参数的动...     

Air pollution surveillance systems

Atmospheric surveillance is necessary in order to identify airborne pollutants, to establish ambient concentrations of these pollutants, and to record their trends and patterns. Air pollutants may occur in the form of gases, liquids, and solids, both singly and in combination. Gaseous pollutants make up about 90 percent of the total mass emitted to the atmosphere with particulates and aerosols accounting for the remaining 10 percent. Small particulates are of particular importance because they may be in the respirable size range. These small particles may contain biologically active elements and compounds. Furthermore, they tend to remain in the atmosphere where they interfere with both solar and terrestrial infrared radiation, which may affect climate on a global basis.     

蔬菜大棚内辐照度时空变化研究

[目的]为蔬菜大棚的高产栽培提供理论指导。[方法]利用TBQ—DL太阳辐射电流表对蔬菜大棚的辐照度时间和空间变化进行测定和研究。[结果]蔬菜大棚内阴天和晴天辐熙度均呈单峰型曲线,阴天辐照度比晴天弱,阴天辐照度在14：00达到最大值,晴天在12：00达到最大值。阴天和晴天辐照度均随高度的升高呈递增趋势。阴天和晴天大棚不同部位辐照度规律均是：上午东侧〉中侧〉西侧,下午西侧〉中侧〉东侧。[结论]在生产中,尤其是阴天较多的地区,应该更充分利用蔬菜大棚高层的光照资源。     

Indication of increasing solar ultraviolet-B radiation flux in alpine regions

Measurements at the Jungfraujoch High Mountain Station (Swiss Alps, 47 degrees N, 3576 meters above sea level) indicate that there has been a slight increase of about 1 percent per year in the flux of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (290 to 330 nanometers) since 1981. A Robertson-Berger detector was used to measure solar erythemal radiation. The increase can be related to a long-term ozone depletion.     

Long-term downward trend in total solar irradiance

The first 5 years (from 1980 to 1985) of total solar irradiance observations by the first Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM I) experiment on board the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft show a clearly defined downward trend of -0.019% per year. The existence of this trend has been confirmed by the internal self-calibrations of ACRIM I, by independent measurements from sounding rockets and balloons, and by observations from the Nimbus-7 spacecraft. The trend appears to be due to unpredicted variations of solar luminosity on time scales of years, and it may be related to solar cycle magnetic activity.     

Observations of Time Variation in the Sun's Rotation

Observations of solar p-mode frequency splittings obtained at Big Bear Solar Observatory in 1986 and during 1988-90 reveal small ( approximately 1 percent) changes in the sun's subsurface angular velocity with solar cycle. An asymptotic inversion of the splitting data yields the latitude dependence of the rotation rate and shows that the largest changes in the angular velocity, approximately 4 nanohertz, occurred between 1986 and the later years, at high ( approximately 60 degrees ) solar latitudes. Earlier helioseismic observations suggest that solar cycle changes in the ratio of magnetic to turbulent pressure in the solar convection zone are large enough to account for the magnitude of the observed angular velocity variations but a detailed model of the phenomenon does not exist.     

Methodology for measuring fAPAR in crops using a combination of active optical and linear irradiance sensors: a case study in Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack)

The amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 0.4–0.7 μm) absorbed by plants for photosynthesis relative to incident radiation is defined as the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR). This is an important variable in both plant biomass production and plant growth modeling. This study investigates the application of a newly developed, linear irradiance sensor (LightScout Quantum Bar Sensor, LightScout, Spectrum Technologies, Inc. USA), to quantify fAPAR for a demonstrator crop, Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack). A protocol was devised for sensor placement to determine reflected PAR components of fAPAR and to determine the optimal time of day and sensor orientation for data collection. Coincident, top of canopy, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measurements were also acquired with a CropCircle? ACS-210 sensor and measurements correlated with derived fAPAR values. The optimum height of the linear irradiance sensor above soil or plant canopy was found to be 0.4 m while measuring reflected PAR. Measurement of fAPAR was found to be stable when conducted within 1 h of local solar noon in order to avoid significant bidirectional effects resulting from diurnal changes of leaf orientation relative to the vertically-placed sensor. In the row crop studied, averaging fAPAR readings derived from the linear irradiance sensor orientated across and along the plant row provided an R² = 0.81 correlation with above-canopy NDVI. Across row sensor orientation also gave a similar correlation of R² = 0.76 allowing the user to reduce sampling time.     

Nuclear winter: global consequences of multple nuclear explosions

The potential global atmospheric and climatic consequences of nuclear war are investigated using models previously developed to study the effects of volcanic eruptions. Although the results are necessarily imprecise due to wide range of possible scenaros and uncertainty in physical parameters, the most probable first-order effects are serious. Significant hemispherical attenuation of the solar radiation flux and subfreezing land temperatures may be caused by fine dust raised in high-yield nuclear surface bursts and by smoke from city and forest fires ignited by airbursts of all yields. For many simulated exchanges of several thousand megatons, in which dust and smoke are generated and encircle the earth within 1 to 2 weeks, average light levels can be reduced to a few percent of ambient and land temperatures can reach -15 degrees to -25 degrees C. The yield threshold for major optical and climatic consequences may be very low: only about 100 megatons detonated over major urban centers can create average hemispheric smoke optical depths greater than 2 for weeks and, even in summer, subfreezing land temperatures for months. In a 5000-megaton war, at northern mid-latitude sites remote from targets, radioactive fallout on time scales of days to weeks can lead to chronic mean doses of up to 50 rads from external whole-body gamma-ray exposure, with a likely equal or greater internal dose from biologically active radionuclides. Large horizontal and vertical temperature gradients caused by absorption of sunlight in smoke and dust clouds may greatly accelerate transport of particles and radioactivity from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere. When combined with the prompt destruction from nuclear blast, fires, and fallout and the later enhancement of solar ultraviolet radiation due to ozone depletion, long-term exposure to cold, dark, and radioactivity could pose a serious threat to human survivors and to other species.     

Trace elements and radioactivity in lunar rocks: implications for meteorite infall, solar-wind flux, and formation conditions of moon

Lunar soil and type C breccias are enriched 3-to 100-fold in Ir, Au, Zn, Cd, Ag, Br, Bi, and Tl, relative to type A, B rocks. Smaller enrichments were found for Co, Cu, Ga, Pd, Rb, and Cs. The solar wind at present intensity can account for only 3 percent of this enrichment; an upper limit to the average proton flux during the last 4.5 x 109 years thus is 8 x 10(9) cm(-2) yr(-1). The remaining enrichment seems to be due to a 1.5 to 2 percent admixture of carbonaceous-chondritelike material, corresponding to an average influx rate of meteoritic and cometary matter of 2.9 x 10(-9) g cm(-2) yr(-1) at Tranquility Base. This is about one-quarter the terrestrial rate. Type A, B rocks are depleted 10-to 100-fold in Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, In, Tl, and Bi, relative to terrestrial basalts. This suggests loss by high-temperature volatilization, before or after accretion of the moon. Positron activities due mainly to (22)Na and (26)Al range from 90 to 220 beta(+) min(-1) kg(-1) in five small rocks or fragments (9 to 29 g). The higher activities presumably indicate surface locations. Th and U contents generally agree with those found by the preliminary examination team.     

Solar constant: constraints on possible variations derived from solar diameter measurements

Climatically significant variation of the solar constant (the energy output of the sun) implies measurable change in the solar radius. The available data limit variations of the solar radius between 1850 and 1937 to about 0.25 arc second; modeling of the sun indicates that the solar constant did not vary by more than 0.3 percent during that time.