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Title: Response of the Land-Atmosphere System Over North-Central Oklahoma During the 2017 Eclipse

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076908· OSTI ID:1427502
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [1]; ORCiD logo [5]
  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Hohenheim, Stuttgart (Germany)
  3. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  5. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Abstract On 21 August 2017, a solar eclipse occurred over the continental United States resulting in a rapid reduction and subsequent increase of solar radiation over a large region of the country. The eclipse's effect on the land‐atmosphere system is documented in unprecedented detail using a unique array of sensors deployed at three sites in north‐central Oklahoma. The observations showed that turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum at the surface responded quickly to the change in solar radiation. The decrease in the sensible heat flux resulted in a decrease in the air temperature below 200 m, and a large decrease in turbulent motions throughout the boundary layer. Furthermore, the turbulent mixing in the boundary layer lagged behind the change in the surface fluxes, and this lag depended on the height above the surface. The turbulent motions increased and the convective boundary layer was reestablished as the sensible heat flux recovered.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1427502
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1420177
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 3; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 17 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Observations and Numerical Simulation of the Effects of the 21 August 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse on Surface Conditions and Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Evolution journal January 2019
Cloudiness and Solar Radiation During the Longest Total Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century at Tianhuangping (Zhejiang), China journal December 2018
Unmanned aerial vehicles reveal the impact of a total solar eclipse on the atmospheric surface layer
  • Bailey, Sean C. C.; Canter, Caleb A.; Sama, Michael P.
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 475, Issue 2229 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2019.0212
journal September 2019

Figures / Tables (5)

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