Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2012) 127: 15
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2012-12015-1

Regular Article

Influence on UV Radiation by wildfire smoke in Valparaíso, Chile

¹ Departamento de Mecánica, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile
² Departamento de Física y Meteorología, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 644, Valparaíso, Chile
³ Departamento de Física y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Santiago de Chile, Chile

^* e-mail: luis.dasilva@usm.cl

Received: 10 June 2011
Revised: 13 December 2011
Accepted: 4 January 2012
Published online: 7 February 2012

Abstract

UV absorption in Valparaíso, Chile, is analyzed during the passage of a smoke column from a nearby forest fire. Total solar absorption is measured, UVB and UVA radiation, UV nanometre to nanometre between 295 nm and 315 nm. With the purpose of seeing what factors intervene in this absorption, tropospheric ozone and PM₁₀ particulate material are measured during the passage of this smoke column from the forest fire. In addition, considerations were made on the chemical compounds which are normally present during a forest fire such as, CO₂, CO, SO₂, NO, NO₂, etc., depreciating their evidence that is the PM₁₀ particulate material, which acts as a black body that is primarily responsible for the UV absorption. This affirmation is based on the fact that no absorption, which notoriously indicates some particular compound, was observed on the spectroradiometer register. All of the bands, nanometre to nanometre, showed the same behaviour, indicating the same type of absorption.