Because of its damaging impact on living matter, the flux of UV radiation at the earth’s surface needs to be monitored and predicted. This requirement has been highlighted in recent years by the measurable reduction in global stratospheric ozone, which attenuates the flux of solar UV radiation. However, over the last decade there has been substantial progress in identifying the nature of stratospheric ozone depletion and in establishing international policies to respond to the problems associated with the emission of ozone-depleting substances into the atmosphere. Notwithstanding the scientific and political progress, the international community recognises the need to develop much more robust research and operational programs to ensure that the state of the stratospheric ozone layer and the flux of UV radiation to the surface can be effectively monitored and predicted. Because the meteorology of the southern hemisphere is quite different from that of the northern hemisphere, these programs cannot be ignored in our region. Australia is the most developed country in the southern hemisphere which is affected by the annual Antarctic ozone ‘hole’, and so we should play a leading role in these activities. In this paper, the current status of research and operational programs is reviewed, and the prospects for future developments are considered.
M. J. Manton (Mon,) studied this question.