Ultraviolet radiation in the background region over Northeast China

Measurements of broadband global solar and ultraviolet radiation (UV-KZ) by a Kipp & Zonen radiometer from 2005 to 2011 at three sites in the background region over Northeast China were used to investigate the characteristics of the temporal variability of UV-KZ radiation in Northeast China. The highest annual mean daily values of UV-KZ (0.53 MJ m^?2 d^?1) were observed at Sanjiang and Changbai Mountain. The lowest value (0.49 MJ m^?2 d^?1) was measured at Hailun due to the high aerosol burden and the long path of solar radiation. The diurnal variation in UV-KZ radiation on four clear days near the equinoxes and solstices exhibited bell-shaped curves, with a maximum at approximately noon. There was little difference in UV-KZ radiation between representative spring and autumn days except that the amount of UV-KZ radiation during the spring was higher than that during the autumn. The relationship between the maximum values of UV-KZ radiation and clearness index can be accurately demonstrated with three polynomial equations. An empirical estimation model suited for all weather conditions was developed using measurements collected at Hailun. The slope of the linear regression between the measured and modeled UV-KZ radiation was approximately 1, the intercept of the linear regression equation was near zero, and the relative error of the equation was less than 8.5 %. These validation results suggest that this model can accurately estimate the UV-KZ radiation based on more conventional measured radiation data. The empirical estimation model can also serve as a valuable method for the study of ecological processes in other regions.