Aerosol Lidar and in situ ozone observations of the planetary boundary layer over Bulgaria during the solar eclipse of 11 August 1999

Abstract

A complex investigation of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is presented. Observations were carried out on 11 August 1999 during the solar eclipse over Bulgaria using a Light Detection and Ranging Device (Lidar), ozone meters and ground meteorological stations. The Lidar was used to measure the height of the mixing layer before, during and after the solar eclipse in Sofia city; the ozone meters measured the surface O₃ concentrations during the phenomenon, while the ground stations took meteorological parameters of the atmospheric ground layer. Weather conditions in all the regions (Sofia, Shabla, Ahtopol and Rozhen peak) were favourable for the observations. The data of the three types of measurements demonstrate with certainty that the solar eclipse affects the meteorological parameters of the atmosphere near the ground, the ozone concentration and the height of the mixing layer. It was found that a certain time delay exists in the solar eclipse's impact on the meteorological parameters, the ozone concentration and the mixing layer height and that this delay was different for each of the different parameters.