The solar eclipse: a natural meteorological experiment

Harrison, R. G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0693-347X and Hanna, E. (2016) The solar eclipse: a natural meteorological experiment. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 374 (2077). 20150225. ISSN 1364-503X doi: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0225 (themed issue: Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse)

Abstract/Summary

A solar eclipse provides a well-characterised 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 to 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 20th 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 (5.5TJ).

Additional Information	Theme issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’ compiled and edited by R. Giles Harrison and Edward Hanna
Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/65888
Identification Number/DOI	10.1098/rsta.2015.0225
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Additional Information	Theme issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’ compiled and edited by R. Giles Harrison and Edward Hanna
Publisher	Royal Society Publishing
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