The UV radiation stabilizing at altitudes above 9 km suggests a lower than expected border of the ozon layer. GPS altitude reading error may be the reason.
ES110 consensus oppinion.
The sensor deployed record UV intensity was TR-74UI. It was placed it on the outside of the lunchbox. We also made sure to put it on the top of the bag so that it could get a better view of the UV rays. The higher in the atmosphere the probe went the more intense the UV rays became. This is caused by the lower atmosphere being protected from the UV rays by the Ozone layer. The closer it climbed towards the ozone layer the more UV rays it picked up.
Written by Ali Elsing
This graph displays some of the most important data from the near-space mission – the UV Intensity data. These measurements would be most affected by the presence of the ozone layer, which from the trend of the data, we can tell that it was probably situated at about 9,000 m, as this is where the increase in UV that had started at ground level, began to decrease. Unfortunately, the UV sensor would also have been subject to shade from the balloon, which should be kept in mind while looking at this data. We can see that once above the altitude of 10,000 m, the UV sensor logged measurements that were on average quite consistent, with an average measurement of 1.78.
Written by Amy Dwyer.
As the balloon ascended, it grew closer to near and outer space, which is more vulnerable to the sun’s UV rays. A higher altitude allows the UV intensity to increase, so when the balloon reached its maximum altitude, the UV intensity was at its highest (25000 mW/cm2). The UV intensity decreased at a faster rate, because the balloon descended more quickly after it burst.
Written by Rachel Lindsay