Atmosphere

If it wasn't for a damaged shoulder, Wills Dobson wouldn't be launching weather balloons or fixing high-precision atmospheric measuring instruments.

Sitting at the surface of Taylor Glacier in Antarctica, are layers of ice more than 10,000 years old. And trapped inside those layers are bubbles of ancient air – like tiny time capsules - able to tell scientists a story about what the world used to be like and how humans have changed it.

Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.

The all-sky image shows a hemispheric view of the sky at Lauder.

The atmosphere is comprised of layers based on temperature. These layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.

Check out UV index forecasts for locations in New Zealand (including ski fields), Australia, the Pacific and Antarctica.

Common questions about storms and cyclones in New Zealand.

Climate data and common terms explaining the causes and effects of climate change.

Today's UV Index

The UV Index is a measure of the intensity of UV radiation. The larger the number, the more intense the UV. In New Zealand, its maximum summer value is generally about 12, but it can exceed 13 in the far North. In winter it reaches peak values of 1 or 2. Values of 10 or more should be considered as "extreme". At high altitude tropical sites (eg Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii), the UV Index can exceed 20.The UV Index supersedes the idea of "Time to Burn" or "Burn Time", which has been used previously in New Zealand.