SOLAR ECLIPSE EFFECTS OBSERVED IN THE PLANETARY BOUNDARY-LAYER OVER ADESERT

Boundary-layer meteorological measurements were made before, during, a nd after the May 10, 1994 partial (94%) solar eclipse over the desert at the Atmospheric Profiler Research Facility at White Sands Missile R ange, New Mexico, U.S.A. A large number of sensors were located in the middle of the Tularosa Basin to measure mean and turbulent quantities and the refractive index structure parameter (C-n(2)). This event per mitted a rare opportunity to measure, examine, and document the effect s upon the atmospheric boundary layer of a sudden cut-off and subseque nt turn-on of the sun's radiant energy. At the peak of the eclipse, wh ich occurred for more than three hours, all of the heat exchange param eters were affected, the turbulent processes were diminished, and the refractive index structure parameter decreased dramatically. A time-he ight display from the FM-CW radar shows a Kelvin-Helmholtz wave that d eveloped during the eclipse. The results of several analyses are prese nted to document and characterize the eclipse-modified boundary layer.