Yesterday, I talked about what UV radiations actually are and I mentioned in a small point that the intensity of UVB varies from place to place.So, how do the places and altitudes affect the UV radiations.
UV levels increase about 4% for every 1,000 foot gain in altitude as a rule of thumb.
The reason is because of the thinner atmosphere as you go up and not because sun is closer to you because 1000 feet doesn't really count when the distance is in light years, right?? So, consequently, you should use stronger sunblocks or sunscreens and reapply often to save the skin from damage. So, you live on hills or going there for a vacation, a sunscreen wouldn't make your backpack too heavy!!!
Also, we were discussing about various surfaces. So, as a matter of fact, snow and ice are the biggest reflectors of sunlight!!! Snow or Ice can reflect up to 80% of the UV radiations. And, I remember I went at 12000 ft altitude without any sunblock and was having snow all around me :( Well, that's not recommended at all!!! Other surfaces like water also reflects sunlight so you should be covered up with sunscreens before you go to the beach.
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