Impact of an annular solar eclipse on trace gases and meteorological parameters over Jaipur, Northwestern India

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the impact of an annular solar eclipse i.e., 21 June 2020 on the variation of meteorological parameters along with trace gases using statistical analyses. The study site is located at Poornima University, Jaipur (26.7796°N, 75.8771°E), Rajasthan, India. The observational analysis indicates a rapid decrease in solar direct radiation (SDR) which varied between 706 and 79 W/m2 during the eclipse. SDR was reduced to 79 W/m2 at the maximum peak of the solar eclipse at 11:55 a.m. at the study location. The comparative analysis shows the variation of SDR during the solar eclipse day, the previous day, and the day after the event. A strong dip was observed in SDR during the annular eclipse day concerning before (734.31 W/m2) and after (734.375 W/m2) eclipse event. Furthermore, the impact of the solar eclipse on temperature (Ts) and Relative Humidity (RH) was analyzed over Jaipur. The statistical analyses demonstrate an apparent decrease in temperature of about 2°C while RH shows a slight increment (3.45%) during the solar eclipse event. The results show an inverse correlation between the solar eclipse and trace gases variations during the eclipse due to the changes in solar radiation, surface temperature, and variation in winds that might affect the photochemical processes.