People around the world are concerned about the harmful effects of UVB radiation. Let's look at what is happening in another part of the world. (You may want to print a copy of this activity.)
Some countries in the Southern Hemisphere seem to have a special problem with UVB radiation because of the thin ozone layers above them. Australia and New Zealand use a UV Index as a part of their daily weather advisories, just as we do here in the United States.
Find Australia and New Zealand on a map of the world. Choose three cities in each country, and list the latitude and longitude of these cities. Do the same thing for three U.S. cities that appear on our UV Index. Then find today's UV Index forecasts for these cities. (In order to find the forecast for the Australian cities you have chosen, you will need to use the latitude and longitude markers on the Australian UV Index map.)
Australia:
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New Zealand:
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United States:
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What do you notice about the differences in UV Index numbers? What might explain these differences? (Hint: compare the latitudes of the cities, and compare the seasons of the year. What season is it now in the United States? What season is it in the Southern Hemisphere?)
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Australia:
New Zealand:
United States:
Links to Other International UV Index Websites:
Written by Susan K. Cowles, Oregon Weather Project, OASIS, 1998
