How is atmosphere ozone monitored in Belarus?

19 октября 2022
Tatiana Tabalchuk, director of the National Research Center for Ozone Monitoring at the Belarusian State University, told how Belarus monitors the content of ozone in the atmosphere.

"Belarus has committed itself to operational monitoring of total ozone and ultraviolet index in our country. We monitor the total ozone content at Minsk Ozonometric Station. Besides, we provide on-line monitoring of total ozone and surface ultraviolet in the area where the Belarusian Antarctic Expedition is based. Thus, we use optical devices to assess everything remotely," BelTA quotes the specialist.

By the way, Belarus is characterized by seasonal changes in stratospheric ozone. The norm of its content in the atmosphere is 250-400 Dobson units. The minimum falls in the autumn months - October and November (280 Dobson units), while the maximum falls in the spring months - March and April (380 Dobson units).

"In spring, the atmosphere shifts from a winter circulation pattern to a summer circulation pattern. Therefore, a large number of ozone anomalies are observed during this period. In this regard, the spring sun can be more dangerous than the summer sun. I should note that ozone holes have never been observed in the direct sense of the word. They are referred to when they mean a thinner (degraded) ozone layer", Tatiana Tabalchuk explained.

The ozone layer serves as protection against ultraviolet radiation, which is destructive to all living organisms. Ultraviolet radiation is responsible for such negative bioeffects as sunburns, skin tumors, DNA damage, immune system suppression and others.