Quality assurance of the solar UV network in the Antarctic

Abstract

Measuring ultraviolet radiation in the Antarctic region, where weather conditions are extremely challenging, is a demanding task. Proper quality control of the measurements and quality assurance of the data, which are the basis of all scientific use of data, has to be especially well planned and executed. In this paper we show the importance of proper quality assurance and describe the methods used to successfully operate the NILU-UV multichannel radiometers of the Antarctic network stations at Ushuaia, 54 S, and Marambio, 64 S. According to our experience, even though multichannel instruments are supposed to be rather stable as a function of time, severe drifts can occur in the sensitivity of the channels under these harsh conditions (...)