Wavelet Analysis of Atmospheric Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation on Solar Cycle-24 over Lumbini, Nepal

Abstract

This research aims to comprehensively examine the clearness index (KT), total ozone column (TOC), and ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) over Lumbini, Nepal (27°28’ N, 83°16’ E, and 150 m above sea level) throughout the 11 years of solar cycle 24 (2008 to 2018). The Lumbini, a highly polluted region, is important in advancing the identification and analysis of TOC variations across regions with similar geographical and climatic attributes. Data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) of the EOS-AURA satellite of NASA were used to analyze the daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual trends in the clearness index (KT), ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and TOC from the Comprehensive Environmental Data Archive (CEDA). The study found that the yearly averages for KT, TOC, UVA, and UVB were 0.55 ± 0.13, 272 ± 14 DU, 12.61 ± 3.50 W/m2, and 0.32 ± 0.11 W/m2, respectively. These values provide insights into the long-term variations in atmospheric parameters at Lumbini. The study also applied the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to analyze KT, TOC, UVA, and UVB temporal variations. The power density peak of 35,000 DU2 in the TOC was observed from the end of 2010 to the end of 2011, within 8.5 years, underscoring the significance of analyzing TOC dynamics over extended durations to understand atmospheric behavior comprehensively.