Articles | Volume 8, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-159-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-159-2016
Review article
 | 
22 Apr 2016
Review article |  | 22 Apr 2016

Surface radiation during the total solar eclipse over Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, on 20 March 2015

Marion Maturilli and Christoph Ritter

Abstract. On 20 March 2015, a total solar eclipse occurred over Ny-Ålesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E), Svalbard, in the high Arctic. It was the first time that the surface radiation components during the totality of a solar eclipse were measured by a Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) station. With the Ny-Ålesund long-term radiation data set as background (available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.150000), we present here the peculiarities of the radiation components and basic meteorology observed during the eclipse event. The supplementary data set contains the basic BSRN radiation and surface meteorological data in 1 min resolution for March 2015, and is available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.854326. The eclipse radiation data will be a useful auxiliary data set for further studies on micrometeorological surface–atmosphere exchange processes in the Svalbard environment, and may serve as a test case for radiative transfer studies.

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Short summary
The total solar eclipse over Ny-Ålesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E), Svalbard, on 20 March 2015 has been followed by various sensors. Here, we present the surface radiation measurements in the context of the meteorological observations, providing basic data for further studies on e.g. radiative transfer or micrometeorology.