Investigating Stabilization in Lower Stratospheric Temperature and Atmospheric Gravity Waves During the April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse.

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse was visible across North America. During this event, NearSpace Launch and NearSpace Education deployed 14 weather balloons to collect high-resolution atmospheric data. Using this dataset, our team investigated the effects of the eclipse on lower stratospheric temperatures by statistically comparing the variance in temperature readings from two balloons: one launched before the eclipse's totality, and another launched during the eclipse. We then extended the analysis to three additional balloons to validate our findings.We observed a stabilization in lower stratospheric temperature during the eclipse and further explored the presence of atmospheric gravity waves using both Fast Fourier transform (FFT) and wavelet transform techniques. We focused on gravity waves because of their important role in transferring energy and momentum within the atmosphere, which can affect weather patterns, climate systems, and atmospheric circulation. Identifying such waves during an eclipse could offer insight into how sudden changes in solar radiation impact atmospheric dynamics. Our analysis yielded promising evidence suggesting the possibility of atmospheric gravity waves during the eclipse.