Radiation and Ozone

Abstract

Atmospheric radiation and ozone have been the subjects of research studies for well over a century. Formal international collaboration in radiation studies date back to 1896 when the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), today's World Meteorological Organization, established a Special Commission for Radiation and Insolation to make "recommendations for standardized radiation instruments and methods of solar and sky radiation measurements." Realizing the importance of the radiative effects of atmospheric ozone and the necessity to improve understanding of the stratosphere, the IUGG, in 1933, formed a body to advance ozone studies. These groups were the forerunners of the International Radiation and Ozone Commissions, which have guided research and promoted international programs in these disciplines for more than half a century. The commissions advance international scientific programs in the following three general ways: 1) Commission meetings provide an opportunity for scientists to develop, discuss, and implement new ideas for international activities. If the proposals require broader scientific participation, they are channeled through IAMAS up to the higher levels of the scientific and intergovernmental hierarchy, where they can be implemented into international programs. Mechanisms of this type performed an important function during the Cold War period: without them scientific exchange between the East and West would have ceased. 2) International programs rely on the expertise accumulated in the commissions to develop subprograms and to provide advice for solving specific scientific and technical problems. Commissions also have experience in establishing and standardizing the observations of global measurement networks, such as the solar radiation and ozone measuring network, on which global programs rely. The commissions also provide a reservoir of experts who are consulted and appointed as members of advisory and planning committees for international programs. 3) Commission symposia contribute to a thorough topical evaluation of the results obtained during international activities, which may lead to midcourse corrections in multiyear programs. The results of more than 50 years of these activities can be seen in today's improved monitoring, better understanding, and more reliable predictions of weather and climate change. With global warming a continuing and growing threat to the planet, and the recovery of the ozone layer from its depleted state still of concern, the International Radiation and Ozone Commissions will continue to face and meet major challenges in the future. © 2009 American Meteorological Society.