Abstract
A solar eclipse provides a well-characterized reduction in solar radiation, of calculable amount and duration. This captivating natural astronomical phenomenon is ideally suited to science outreach activities, but the predictability of the change in solar radiation also provides unusual conditions for assessing the atmospheric response to a known stimulus. Modern automatic observing networks used for weather forecasting and atmospheric research have dense spatial coverage, so the quantitative meteorological responses to an eclipse can now be evaluated with excellent space and time resolution. Numerical models representing the atmosphere at high spatial resolution can also be used to predict eclipse-related changes and interpret the observations. Combining the models with measurements yields the elements of a controlled atmospheric experiment on a regional scale (10–1000 km), which is almost impossible to achieve by other means. This modern approach to ‘eclipse meteorology’ as identified here can ultimately improve weather prediction models and be used to plan for transient reductions in renewable electricity generation. During the 20 March 2015 eclipse, UK electrical energy demand increased by about 3 GWh (11 TJ) or about 4%, alongside reductions in the wind and photovoltaic electrical energy generation of 1.5 GWh (5.5 TJ).This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’.
Highlights
Cite this article: Harrison RG, Hanna E. 2016 The solar eclipse: a natural meteorological experiment
A modern application of eclipse meteorology in populated regions is in estimating loading of the electrical power network, as, following the expansion of wind and solar generation capability, a solar eclipse transiently reduces the generation from these renewable sources during an increase in electrical demand
The use of recording technology is not in itself new—an early example of automatic solar radiation measurements made at Kew Observatory near London, UK, during the 1954 eclipse over the southern UK is shown in figure 2, and displays the characteristic ‘bite out’ of the diurnal cycle—but the ready availability of sophisticated, often cheaper modern instrumentation and the immediate connectivity provided by the Internet yields observation networks with much greater site density and data rates [8]
Summary
Eclipses have long entranced humankind as an astronomical spectacle, and yield a unique set of circumstances for disparate scientific studies. The use of recording technology is not in itself new—an early example of automatic solar radiation measurements made at Kew Observatory near London, UK, during the 1954 eclipse over the southern UK is shown, and displays the characteristic ‘bite out’ of the diurnal cycle—but the ready availability of sophisticated, often cheaper modern instrumentation and the immediate connectivity provided by the Internet yields observation networks with much greater site density and data rates [8] Such networks exist for different purposes: they are operated by meteorological services in order to characterize the state of the atmosphere for weather forecasting models, or by local authorities for routine monitoring purposes, or sometimes otherwise by selffunded amateurs or enthusiasts (citizen scientists). Both modelling studies show small anticlockwise changes in the wind direction in some areas, which are associated with near-surface changes in atmospheric mixing
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