Development of a method for mapping monthly average hourly diffuse erythemal ultraviolet radiation

In this study, a model for calculating monthly average hourly diffuse erythemal solar ultraviolet (EUV) radiation under all sky conditions in Thailand was developed. The model is a function of air mass, aerosol optical depth and satellite-derived cloud index, as these parameters are sensitive to diffuse EUV radiation. Diffuse EUV irradiance were measured using UV-biometers equipped with shade ball during April 2011-March 2014 at four stations in Thailand. Data from these stations were used to formulate the model. The model was validated using an independent dataset (April 2014-March 2016) at the same sites. The modeled diffuse EUV irradiance showed good agreement with that from the ground-based measurements, with root mean square difference (RMSD) of 12.7% and mean bias difference (MBD) of −2.8%. The use of satellite data provided a simple and practical method to calculate monthly average hourly diffuse EUV irradiance over Thailand. Spatial monthly distributions are shown as maps.