Lexi Webster
Australia experiences intense UV radiation due to its proximity to the sun during its summer months. This has resulted in the country having the highest skin cancer rates in the world. The sun is a ball of plasma with a core temperature of about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit, and it would take more than 330,000 Earths to match its mass. In Australian Indigenous astronomy, the sun is a central figure, often personified as a woman, and is featured on the Aboriginal flag.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Australian Indigenous Astronomy | Yolngu traditions of Arnhem Land in the far north of Australia |
| The Sun is a woman and the Moon is a man | |
| The Sun woman is Walu | |
| She lights a small fire each morning, which we see as dawn | |
| She decorates herself with red ochre, which spills onto the clouds, creating a red sunrise | |
| She lights a torch and travels from east to west, creating daylight | |
| As she descends, she puts out her torch and journeys underground back to the morning camp in the east | |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people marked the rising and setting position of the Sun, noting solstices and equinoxes | |
| Australian Sun Exposure | The UV radiation in Australia is intense |
| On a sunny day, a fair-skinned person can get sunburnt in under 15 minutes | |
| Australia's harsh sunshine results from its location in the Southern Hemisphere | |
| The elliptical orbit of the Earth places the Southern Hemisphere closer to the Sun during its summer months | |
| Australia's summer sun is 7-10% stronger than similar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere | |
| Air currents bring ozone-depleted air from Antarctica's ozone hole to Australia, increasing UV exposure | |
| Australia's sunny weather and pollution-free air provide little protection from harmful UV rays | |
| Australia has the highest skin cancer rates in the world |
Explore related products
![Against the Sun (2014) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/817rU20kAOL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
![Black Sun (2005) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41W8VyX05wL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
UV radiation and skin cancer in Australia
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. The country's age-standardised incidence rate of melanoma in 2008 was more than 12 times the average global rate. Sun exposure has been estimated to cause around 95% of melanoma cases in areas of high exposure, such as Australia, and around 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers in the country.
UV radiation is a Group 1 carcinogen, which causes melanoma and other types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Exposure to UV radiation, particularly during childhood and adolescence, is the greatest risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer. Intense sun exposure in the first 10 years of life has been shown to nearly double the lifetime risk of melanoma. In Australia, both BCC and SCC rates are around three times higher in latitudes closer to the equator, where UV radiation is higher.
The depletion of the ozone layer over the 20th century has resulted in higher radiation levels reaching the Earth's surface. While international measures to protect the ozone layer are showing signs of impact, improvements have not yet returned ozone to pre-1970s levels. The CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology have projected that mean temperatures within Australia will rise by 0.6 to 1.5°C by 2030 compared to the climate of 1980 to 1999. Warmer temperatures may result in Australians increasing their sun exposure and wearing less covering clothing, thereby increasing their risk of skin cancer.
To reduce the risk of skin cancer, Cancer Council Victoria developed the 'Slip! Slop! Slap!' and SunSmart slogans in 1980 and 1987, respectively. The key sun protection messages have since expanded to include slipping on sun-protective clothing, slopping on sunscreen with a rating of SPF50 or 50+, slapping on a hat, seeking shade, and sliding on sunglasses. In addition, Cancer Australia recommends avoiding excessive sun exposure and solaria, and wearing sunscreen and protective clothing to lower the risk of skin cancer.
Are Government Offices Open in Australia on Sundays?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Low Winter Sun - 4-Disc Set [ NON-USA FORMAT, Blu-Ray, Reg.B Import - Australia ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ioUAUy6yL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
![Sawdust and Tinsel ( Gycklarnas afton ) ( Sunset of a Clown ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EPICpcTsL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Ozone layer and UV radiation
The Sun is a central point of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across Australia. In many Aboriginal traditions, the Sun is a woman and the Moon is a man. In one tradition, the Sun woman, Walu, lights a small fire each morning, which we see as dawn. She then lights a torch and travels across the sky from east to west, carrying her blazing torch and creating daylight.
The Sun is the source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a harmful form of radiant energy. Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to a range of health problems in humans, from skin damage to skin cancer. UV radiation also harms the eyes, causing cataracts, inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea, and damage to the retina. The likelihood of getting skin cancer is dramatically cut by increasing protection against UV rays and reducing the amount of time spent in direct sunlight.
Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Two in three Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70. This is mainly due to the extended exposure of the Australian population to high levels of UV radiation. The UV index in Australia usually sits between 10 and 14. UV radiation in Australia is so intense that on a sunny day, a fair-skinned person can get sunburnt in less than fifteen minutes.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) monitors and provides forecasts of the UV index, which are based on stratospheric ozone levels, cloud cover, and aerosol particles in the atmosphere. The CAMS UV index forecast predicts UV levels up to five days in advance, which is useful for planning protection against UV radiation.
The ozone layer, a layer of ozone in the atmosphere between 10 and 30 kilometres above the ground, helps block UV radiation from the Sun. Each year, the layer of ozone above Antarctica becomes thinner, forming a hole. This hole is a natural phenomenon, but in the 1970s, scientists grew concerned about its expansion, which was driven by ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). However, the ozone hole does not cause the high UV levels in Australia. Instead, the country's proximity to the equator and altitude contribute to the high UV levels. Additionally, air currents can bring ozone-depleted air from the Antarctic ozone hole to Australia, allowing more UV radiation to reach the ground.
To address the depletion of the ozone layer, countries around the world signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987, an international treaty designed to phase out the production of chemicals harmful to the ozone layer. As a result, the ozone layer appears to be slowly recovering.
Brisbane's Virgin Australia Flights: Where Do They Go?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy
Indigenous Australians have been observing the Sun, the Moon, and the stars for at least 60,000 years, passing down knowledge of astronomy through song, dance, and ritual. They marked the rising and setting of the Sun throughout the year, noting the solstices and equinoxes, using landscape features and human-crafted features, such as stone arrangements. They also observed rare solar phenomena, including solar eclipses, sun haloes, and parhelia.
Torres Strait Islanders are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of the state of Queensland, Australia. They are ethnically distinct from Aboriginal peoples, though they are often grouped together as Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islander people have a strong artistic culture, with the sea, sky, and land featuring strongly in their stories and art.
Breastfeeding Bans: Aboriginal Australia's Dark History
You may want to see also
Explore related products
UV radiation and climate change
In Australian Indigenous culture, the Sun is a central point of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In many Aboriginal traditions, the Sun is a woman and the Moon is a man. In Yolngu traditions, the Sun woman is Walu, who lights a small fire each morning, which we see as dawn.
The UV radiation that reaches the Earth's surface is affected by changes in the stratospheric ozone and global climate change. Decreased stratospheric ozone allows more UV-B, which is more harmful to humans, to reach the Earth's surface. On the other hand, increases in cloud cover, pollution, dust, smoke from wildfires, and other airborne and waterborne particles related to climate change decrease UV light penetration.
Ozone depletion has contributed to climate change across the Southern Hemisphere, and both ozone depletion and climate change can modify the amount of UV radiation that reaches terrestrial ecosystems. The combination of these factors has had pronounced impacts in Antarctica and the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. For example, in the Arctic, unprecedented low total column ozone values occurred in the 2020 boreal spring due to strong stratospheric ozone depletion, resulting in record-breaking high solar UV-B irradiances.
The complex interactions between stratospheric ozone, climate, and UV radiation will continue to shift over time. Climate change is modifying UV exposure and affecting how people and ecosystems respond to UV. For instance, rising temperatures associated with climate change can lead to behavioural changes, such as increased time outdoors and less protective clothing, resulting in higher UV radiation exposure and skin cancer rates.
The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, has played a crucial role in mitigating climate change and controlling the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. While it has effectively reduced the adverse effects of high UV exposure, the future effects of the interactions between UV radiation and climate change remain a concern.
Exploring Australia's Government: A Federal Parliamentary Democracy
You may want to see also
UV monitoring stations in Australia
In Australian Indigenous astronomy, the Sun is a central point of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In many Aboriginal traditions, the Sun is a woman and the Moon is a man. In Yolngu traditions, the Sun woman is Walu, who lights a small fire each morning, which we see as dawn.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) maintains a network of solar ultraviolet (UV) measurements in major Australian cities and in the Australian Antarctic territories. The UV data is collected continuously by detectors that respond to UV in a similar way to human skin. The data is updated approximately once every minute with the most recent UVR levels. ARPANSA publishes current UVR levels for Australian capital cities on its website. This data is also available to application developers, for use in mobile device applications, for example.
The data is provided as an XML format file. While it is ARPANSA's current intention to continue to provide this information, it cannot be guaranteed that this service will always be provided, and it should be noted that cities/locations may be added or removed. The numerical data provided is equivalent to a UV-Index value, a standard, unitless measure of ultraviolet radiation levels developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The data from all cities or "locations" in the file form a set of "stations". The XML file contains the following information for each location: a three-letter abbreviation for the location, the time the latest measurement was recorded (local time at each location, adjusted for daylight saving if applicable), the date the latest measurement was recorded, and the status, which indicates if the data feed from the detector is currently available ("OK") or unavailable ("NA").
Fried Worms DVD: An Australian Guide to Eating Them
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The sun in Australia is particularly strong due to the country's location in the Southern Hemisphere. During the Southern Hemisphere's summer, the elliptical orbit of the Earth brings it closer to the sun than the Northern Hemisphere is during its summer. This results in the sun in Australia being 7 to 10% stronger than at similar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.
The sun is a central point of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across Australia, being featured on the Aboriginal flag. In many Aboriginal traditions, the sun is a woman and the moon is a man. In Yolngu traditions, the sun woman is Walu, who lights a small fire each morning, creating the dawn, and then travels across the sky with her blazing torch, creating daylight.
Australia has the highest skin cancer rates in the world, with almost a million cases in 2015. Skin cancer is primarily caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, which damages the DNA of skin cells. People with pale skin types are more vulnerable to skin cancer, and the risk increases with greater exposure to the sun and higher intensities of UV radiation.
