Damaris Kirsch Pinheiro

GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS OF SOLAR UV RADIATION IN JAPAN, BRAZIL AND CHILE

Ground-based observations of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiations have been carried out in Tokyo, Japan, SMartinho da Serra, Brazil, and Punta Arenas, Chile. The initial results showed that the observations were concerned with the total amount of ozone. Variations in the flux ratio between UV-B and UV-A radiation in both hemispheres show a clear anti-correlation with the amount of ozone along line-of-sight. As a result of least-square fitting, exponential functions between the UV-ratio (UV-B/UV-A) and effective ozone are obtained. Radiometer data at Punta Arenas also show sudden enhancement of UV-B radiation in the beginning of spring, indicating that the arrival of the ozone hole can be detected from the ground.

Using a Pervasive Computing Environment to Identify Secondary Effects of the Antarctic Ozone Hole

Abstract Ozone Secondary Effects (OSE) are characterized by the depletion of the ozone layer in medium latitude areas, triggered by the movement of the polar vortex borders over these regions. These air masses may remain in transit from 7 to 20 days after their separation from the vortex and reach inhabited latitudes, causing a temporary reduction in the total column ozone (TCO) over these areas. Detecting such events may help alerting the population and the local authorities on upcoming augmentations in the UV irradiation. In this work we describe our efforts to design a HPC application for OSE detection. This application runs on a pervasive environment, being therefore capable of adapting to the available computing resources of the researchers and institutions interested in such information.

Reconstruction and searching ozone data periodicities in southern Brazil (29ºS, 53ºW)

Ozone plays a very important role in the nature due its characteristics as a natural filter of ultraviolet solar radiation. Thus, it is pertinent for the scientific community to understand all natural influence factors involving ozone along with a large time series. In this work, a reconstruction of ozone time series obtained by Brewer spectrophotometer from 1994 to 2008 at the Southern Space Observatory (SSO) - 29oS, 53oW - Southern Brazil is presented. TOMS-OMI data were used to follow the days without data, where a coefficient of correlation between TOMS-OMI and Brewer is acceptable around r = 0.89. Besides, wavelet analysis to determine the temporal evolution of the frequencies and the amplitudes was applied. Moreover, wavelet analysis aiming to determine the temporal evolution of the frequencies and the amplitudes was performed. The results pointed a period of 365 days (1 yr) for the seasonal variation of ozone, of 600 days attributed for a possible QBO influence and two periods of 2000 and other 4000 days regarding possibly to the second harmonic of the 11-year solar cycle.

Strategies to Implement Edge Computing in a P2P Pervasive Grid

The exponential dissemination of proximity computing devices (smartphones, tablets, nanocomputers, etc.) raises important questions on how to transmit, store and analyze data in networks integrating those devices. New approaches like edge computing aim at delegating part of the work to devices in the “edge” of the network. In this article, the focus is on the use of pervasive grids to implement edge computing and leverage such challenges, especially the strategies to ensure data proximity and context awareness, two factors that impact the performance of big data analyses in distributed systems. This article discusses the limitations of traditional big data computing platforms and introduces the principles and challenges to implement edge computing over pervasive grids. Finally, using CloudFIT, a distributed computing platform, the authors illustrate the deployment of a real geophysical application on a pervasive network.

STRATOSPHERE-TROPOSPHERE EXCHANGE AS AN OZONE SOURCE TO PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER

Stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) events were identified over southern Brazil acting as a stratospheric ozone source to the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) during 2011-2013 period. There were 13 events with direct influence between 29° and 31° S (center of Rio Grande do Sul), with increase in ozone total column. In these cases, 4 occurred in 2011, 5 in 2012 and 4 in 2013. They were divided: in relation to the exchange latitude, the upper-level Jet Stream act, altitude of source and arrive of air parcels. The air parcels cross the tropopause between 120 and 320 hPa (dynamic tropopause), entering troposphere until the lower troposphere. Most cases (30,8%) reached 1000 hPa and the rest between 600 and 900 hPa. Just in one day the STE occurred in a lower latitude than 29° S; in all the other days (92,3%), STEs occurred in higher latitudes than 31° S (the closer it gets to the pole, the bigger is the ozone concentration, except in Ozone Hole Influence events) or between 29° and 31° S. In most cases (61,5%) it was observed STE along with the Jet Streak act.

ATMOSPHERIC ANALYSIS OF THE EVENTS SECONDARY EFFECT OF ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE OVER THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL IN 2012. PART 1: IDENTIFICATION OF THE EVENTS AND ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC IN THE STRATOSPHERE

In this study were identified events of Influence of the Antarctic ozone hole over southern Brazil in the year 2012. For this, we analyzed the daily average data of total ozone column obtained through Brewer Spectrophotometer, installed in the southern Space Observatory-OESCRSINPE-MCTI (29.4° S; 53.8°; 488 m) and by satellite instruments Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), seeking days of falls in the ozone content. For these days, we analyzed potential vorticity maps made using Reanalysis data provided by NCEPNCAR and retroactive trajectories made through the Hysplit model of NOAA, in order to verify the origin of the polar air mass poor in ozone. In addition, it was also conducted a complementary analysis through the images of the ozone content of the OMI satellite, verifying the performance of the Antarctic Ozone Hole in polar regions and its connection with the Southern Brazil. The methodology used was shown to be effective in the identification of 2 events of side effect of the Antarctic ozone hole over the South of Brazil, which showed a fall of 12.1 ± 2.3 average in the ozone content.

Ações práticas e de educação ambiental visando preservar nascentes, Dona Francisca, RS

O trabalho teve como objetivo apresentar as atividades desenvolvidas no Programa Protecao de Nascentes, realizado no municipio de Dona Francisca, RS. A falta de abastecimento de agua em grande parte das propriedades rurais e o descaso com as nascentes levaram o governo municipal juntamente com a EMATER/RS-ASCAR do municipio, a partir de 1990, a realizar atividades de limpeza visando proteger esses locais da entrada de sedimentos contaminantes ou acesso de animais. Adicionalmente, teve-se o cuidado tambem com o entorno das nascentes, deixando a area protegida com isolamento, uso de praticas como o terraceamento para desvio das aguas superficiais, plantio de arvores nativas no entorno quando necessario, entre outras recomendacoes. Das 12 nascentes analisadas, 50% foram consideradas preservadas e o restante foi considerado como necessitando intervencao. Alem disso, destaca-se a realizacao concomitante de atividades de educacao ambiental junto as familias e criancas dessas comunidades beneficiadas. A partir da realizacao conjunta dessas atividades foi possivel perceber uma mudanca comportamental nos individuos, na maneira de pensar e agir, refletindo em acoes mais conscientes e responsaveis para com o meio ambiente.

GUARDIÕES DAS ÁGUAS MIRINS: INTEGRANDO EXPERIÊNCIAS DE PRESERVAÇÃO DE RECURSOS HÍDRICOS E EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL NO MUNICÍPIO DE TENENTE PORTELA-RS

O aumento da populacao e das atividades economicas vem impondo consequencias ambientais negativas a realidade mundial, que resultam em perdas na qualidade e na quantidade dos recursos hidricos. Frente a isso, a Educacao Ambiental aparece como norteadora de mudancas de conceitos e posturas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo promover o fomento de praticas de conservacao, preservacao e recuperacao de recursos hidricos na escola, atraves do acompanhamento das acoes do Projeto Piloto Guardioes das Aguas Mirins no Municipio de Tenente Portela – RS, desenvolvidas com os alunos da Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental General Osorio. Adotou-se a pesquisa-acao como metodologia. Nesta pesquisa, os participantes deixaram de ser objeto de estudos para serem pesquisadores e produtores de conhecimento de sua propria realidade. A formacao e a capacitacao dos professores para trabalhar a Educacao Ambiental em todas as areas do ensino foram de suma importância, desta maneira as atividades realizadas com os alunos se apresentaram como instrumentos eficazes para se conseguir criar e aplicar formas de interacao sociedade-natureza. Verificou-se, com esta iniciativa, resultados otimizados, atraves da sensibilizacao dos alunos e da comunidade escolar as acoes foram viaveis na melhoria do ambiente local conduzindo na preservacao e no cuidado com os recursos hidricos.

O conhecimento da biodiversidade: um estudo de caso com estudantes de graduação de uma universidade brasileira

A motivacao para a conservacao de especies esta muito relacionada ao conhecimento popular sobre a biodiversidade, o qual se acredita que venha sendo erodido ao longo das geracoes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o conhecimento da populacao jovem, representada por alunos de graduacao de diversos cursos de uma universidade brasileira, sobre a biodiversidade do Brasil. Para tal, foram apresentadas a estudantes de graduacao fotos de especies, solicitando que os mesmos indicassem se as conheciam, atraves de um questionario que foi preenchido ao longo de uma apresentacao das imagens. Os dados obtidos foram utilizados como subsidio para elaboracao de material de divulgacao sobre biodiversidade (blog). Os resultados mostraram que os estudantes em geral possuem um baixo conhecimento acerca da biodiversidade brasileira, e que estudantes de cursos com mais contato com temas ambientais ou com vivencia em zona rural tendem a conhecer melhor as especies nativas. Tambem se observou que o conhecimento de especies animais e em geral superior ao conhecimento de especies vegetais, sendo algumas especies exoticas mais conhecidas pelos entrevistados do que especies nativas. Conclui-se que e de extrema importância que a tematica biodiversidade seja mais trabalhada tanto na educacao formal quanto informal.

ANÁLISE DOS DOIS PRINCIPAIS FATORES DE DECAIMENTO DA COLUNA TOTAL DE OZÔNIO SOBRE O SUL DA AMÉRICA DO SUL

Ozone (O3) is less than 1% of Earth’s atmospheric gases. However, it is essential for life on Earth because it absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UV-B), which is bad for the health of living beings. Since the beginning of 1980 it was reported that there was depletion in the ozone layer over Antarctica and that this could move to lower latitudes. The main objective of this work is the analysis of the main events of total ozone decay over southern South America (20°S, 40°S and 30°W, 80°W) for the period between 2004 and 2011 through comparison with the monthly average of six locations. When comparing the months of May and October for the year 2010 (two major consequent days under the threshold), values of ozone total column much lower than October were found, because of the Brewer-Dobson circulation that mixes the air poor in ozone in the tropical region with the air in the Antarctic region, where the ozone hole was found during the months of winter and spring.