HazeWerte

HazeWerte is a quantitative metric used to assess atmospheric haze and its impact on visibility. It is designed to consolidate information about optical properties of the atmosphere and perceptual haze into a single index that can be used in air quality monitoring, meteorology, and related fields.

The calculation of HazeWerte typically combines measurements of aerosol content and light scattering with visibility or optical depth. The resulting value is usually treated as a dimensionless index scaled to a defined range, with higher values indicating denser haze. In common practice, many implementations normalize the index to a 0 to 100 scale, where 0 represents clear conditions and higher numbers correspond to increasing haze. Interpretive ranges may vary by country or institution but commonly describe low, moderate, substantial, and very hazy conditions.

Measurement methods to determine HazeWerte include ground-based instruments such as visibility meters and sunphotometers, which measure light extinction and aerosol optical depth, as well as remote sensing data from satellites and lidar systems. Weather services and air quality agencies may compute HazeWerte from these data streams to provide timely advisories for the public and for sectors such as aviation, transportation, and outdoor recreation.

Applications of HazeWerte encompass environmental monitoring, urban planning, and risk assessment for outdoor activities. It is often used in conjunction with other metrics like PM2.5 concentrations and general air quality indices to give a concise picture of atmospheric haze levels. The concept originated in meteorology and has been adopted in various German-speaking regions, though international standardization remains informal and context-dependent.