Impacts of the total solar eclipse of 9 March 2016 on meteorological parameters in Ternate

The total solar eclipse on 9th March 2016 has given a unique opportunity to assess impacts of the eclipse on various meteorological parameters in Ternate. A weather transmitter, a net radiometer, and a heat flux plate for measuring soil heat flux in bare soil were deployed during this special observation in Madaha, Ternate (0°51'17.5' N, 127°20'56.8' E). The measured meteorological parameters presented here are net radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and soil heat flux. The results show that those parameters are significantly affected by the eclipse. The percentage of the observed decrease of net radiation during the eclipse was proportional to the obscuration percentage. The air temperature measured at 1.5 m declined around 1.9 °C with approximately 11 minutes lag between the mid-eclipse and minimum temperature during eclipse. Influences from the surrounding environment in the measurement site minimize the temperature response. As a consequence of temperature decrease, relative humidity increased. A drop in soil heat flux was also detected but its response was slower. (paper)