 |
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION |
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME |
 |
The Japan Environment Agency (JEA) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) play essential roles in promoting, coordinating, and implementing monitoring of the ozone and related constituents and research on the ozone layer and the effects of UV-B. JEA has the "Global Environment Research Fund" (GERF), started in 1990, to promote coordination and cooperation among national institutes and universities, and has provided financial assistance. JEA also has a program to monitor global environment changes on a long-term basis in the Center for Global Environmental Research (CGER) in the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). The Annual Report on results of surveylance of the Ozone Layer, etc. is published by JEA. JMA has the "Ozone Layer Monitoring Office" at its headquarters for coordinated operational observation, monitoring and data processing of the ozone in the atmosphere and UV-B at the surface. Annual Report of the Ozone Layer Monitoring is also published by JMA. The ongoing and planned monitoring, atmospheric and effects research activities are as follows.
1. Monitoring
1.1 Global Ozone Observing System (GO3OS)
JMA carries out total ozone and Umkehr observation with Dobson spectrophotometers and observation of vertical ozone distributions with ozone sondes at four sites in Japan (Sapporo, Tsukuba, Kagoshima and Naha) and at a site in Antarctica, Syowa Station. JMA started also total ozone and Umkehr observation with a Brewer spectrophotometer at Minamitorishima in 1994. The International Workshop on Ozone Observation in Asia and the Pacific Region (IWOAP) was held in February and March 1996. The IWOAP was cosponsored by JMA, Ministry of Transport and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The IWOAP consisted of the intercomparison of Dobson Instruments with the Regional Standard Dobson Instrument #116 of JMA and the Seminar on Ozone Observation. India, Korea, Thailand and Philippines attended the Intercomparison. The long term quality controlled ozone data obtained within the framework of the WMO Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO/GAW) are essential to the assessment of the state of the global ozone layer. The IWOAP was held as an activity of Tokyo Quality Assurance/Science Activity Center of GAW to contribute to the assessment and improvement of the quality of the ozone observations in Regional Association II (Asia) and V (South-West-Pacific).
1 .2 Lidar and microwave monitoring of the ozone layer
Since October 1990, CGER in NIES has been measuring the vertical profiles of the stratospheric ozone above Tsukuba with a laser radar (lidar), which is accepted one of the complementary measurements of the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC). The lidar data are available in the annual monitoring report since 1993 published by CGER. NIES installed a microwave (millimeterwave) radiometer in September 1995 and the observation of ozone by this radiometer is incorporated into the CGER monitoring program.
1.3 Monitoring of related chemical constituents
JEA carries out observation of CFCs, CCl4, CH3CCl3, halons, etc. at remote sites (Wakkanai and Nemuro) and at an urban site (Kawasaki). CGER in NIES observes surface ozone, CFCs, CCl4, CH3CCl3, CO2, CH4, Rn and aerosols at a remote sites (Hateruma). JMA observes surface ozone, CFCs, CCl4, CH3CCl3, CO2, N2O, CH4 and CO at Ryori (one of the WMO/GAW Regional Stations) and surface ozone, CH4 and CO at Minamitorishima (one of the WMO/GAW Global Stations). JMA also observes CFCs, CO2, N2O and CH4 in both atmosphere and sea water in the western North Pacific on board the research vessel "Ryofu Maru".
1.4 UV-B monitoring
JMA observes UV-B with Brewer spectrophotometers at Sapporo, Tsukuba, Kagoshima and Naha in Japan and Antarctic Syowa Station. These data are reported to World Ozone and Ultra Violet Data Center (WOUDC) in Canada with ozone data. CGER in NIES also observes UV-B with a Brewer spectrophotometer in Tokyo.
2. Research
In Tsukuba Ozone Workshop, held 16-18 February 1994, discussed on Japanese research programs and collaboration on a national and international scale. This workshop adopted recommendations for research on atmospheric ozone, UV-B, impacts and countermeasures following from the recommendations of the Second Meeting of the Ozone Research Managers in 1993 and international programs such as Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC), NDSC, Second European Stratospheric Arctic and Mid-latitude Experiment (SESAME), The International Research Programme on Health, Solar UV Radiation and Environmental Change (INTERSUN), which have been encouraging national and international cooperation among research programs.
2.1 Atmospheric Research
(a) Research related to Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC)
NIES, Meteorological Research Institute (MRl) of JMA, Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) and some universities have developed NDSC instruments including lidars, millimeterwave radiometers, visible spectrometers and infrared spectrometers. Some of activities conducted by these organizations that make use of these instruments have been incorporated into the NDSC complementary measurements in Japan, which should have special benefits to the NDSC through geographical location. MRI, CRL and the SolarTerrestrial Environment Laboratory ( STEL) of Nagoya University are measuring some stratospheric constituents using NDSC instruments for some NDSC primary stations such as Eureka (Canadian Arctic), Lauder (New Zealand) and for mid-latitude and tropical sites.
(b) Satellite observations
JEA has developed satellite-borne instruments to observe profiles of ozone and related substances. The "Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS)" on which the instruments will be placed, is going to be launched in August 1996 by the National Space Development Agency of Japan. One of the instruments is called "Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS)", which is based on the principle of solar occultation and measures solar infrared and visible radiation coming through the earth atmosphere. Another instrument is called "Retroreflector-In Space (RIS)" and is used to reflect the laser light emitted from the ground stations back to there, giving information on absorption spectrum due to atmospheric gases between the satellite and the ground. NIES, responsible for establishing and operating a ground segment, has developed all the software and built the ILAS&RIS Data Handling Facility, to process, archive, distribute and analyze the data obtained with those instruments (ILAS and RIS). JEA and NIES have also started a new project of ILAS-II for ADEOS-II, the launch of which is scheduled in 1999, aiming at long-term monitoring of the stratospheric ozone layer.
(c) Process studies
In winter 1994/1995 NIES and Nagoya University participated in SESAME. They contributed to the first balloon observation of stratospheric trace species (ozone, aerosols and water vapor) over the Eastern Siberia region, at Yakutsk, in cooperation with the Central Aerological Observatory (CAO) in Russia. They continue to participate in an European project, Ozone Soundings as a tool for Detecting Ozone Change (OSDOC) and plan to carry out campaign experiments related to the ADEOS/ILAS and RIS projects in Kiruna, Alaska, Antarctica, Yakutsk and Japan to understand the ozone depletion in the Arctic region and its effects on the ozone layer in mid- latitude region. Variabilities of ozone layer over Japan have been studied by NIES, MRI, CRL and university groups. JEA supports these activities by GERF. In a project supported by the Science and Technology Agency of Japan, International Cooperative Study on Stratospheric Change and its Role in Climate related to the WCRP SPARC, MRI, CRL and university groups carry out observational studies on the stratospheric processes over Canadian Arctic region using lidars and FTIR spectrometers in cooperation with Atmospheric Environment Service in Canada. They also started a study on the tropical stratospheric processes using lidars. The ozone layer in the polar region is being studied by the National Institute of Polar Research and by universities.
(d) Modeling and experimental studies
One-dimensional models (NIES) and a two-dimensional model (MRI) are continued to be developed. Results of the MRI two-dimensional model are included in the "Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1994". Studies related to three-dimensional chemical transport models (CTM) and three-dimensional models based on General Circulation Models (GCM) are carried out by MRI and NIES. Chemical processes and rate constants of chemical reactions related to ozone depletion including heterogeneous processes are studied in NIES, National Institute for Resources and Environment, Mechanical Engineering Laboratory and university groups.
2.2 Effects Research
(a) UV-B effects on human health
Effects by the increase of ultraviolet ray are studied under GERF: Carcinogenic effects of UV-B irradiation on skin (NIES), UV ray-mediated immunomodulation resulting in changes of viral infections (National Institute of Health), Studies on protein change in UV-irradiated human skin cells (National Institute of Industrial Health), Epidemiological study on the occurrence of cataract due to ultra-violet (NIES), Experimental study on the pathogenesis of cataract caused by ultraviolet ray (NIES) and Molecular epidemiological study on health effects on UV exposure (National Cancer Center Research Institute).
(b) UV-B effects on plants
Effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on telTestnal and manne vegetation and zooplankton are studied under GERF: Defense and adaptation mechanism at a whole plant level (National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences), Defense and repair mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels (NIES), Acclimation of marine algae to the enhanced UV-B (Marine Ecology Research Institute), Effects of enhanced UV-B on marine zooplankton (Hokkaido National Fishenes Research Institute), Effects of enhanced UV-B on forest vegetanon and their adaptation mechanisms (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute).
|
|
|
