AGS-FIRP Track 1: Solar Eclipse Effects on Weather and Aerial Fauna (SEEWAF)

在该项目中，PI和项目团队将部署移动的大气剖面网络（MAPNet）仪器套件，以观察2024年4月8日在阿肯色州中部发生的日全食期间的气象学，空中动物（如昆虫和鸟类飞行活动）以及太阳辐射变化。MAPNet套件将部署到靠近总体中心线的三个不同位置，包括K-12学校系统，高中和包括研究生和本科生的研究所。预计这三个教育级别的数百名学生将获得使用地图网络和收集的数据的经验。这些新的观测将增进我们对大气层因太阳辐射快速变化而发生的快速变化的了解，并将为不同教育水平的学生提供一个独特的机会，以获得经验和（或）了解如何进行和处理科学观测，MAPNet设施将沿着在三个剖面观测点发射无线电探空气球，提供关于温度垂直剖面变化的数据，大气层最低3公里处的风、湍流和云，包括边界层。移动的亚拉巴马X波段（MAX）扫描雷达将进行监视和扫描，以监测MAX雷达和剖面位置周围的边界层气流和空中动物行为。三个剖面站点中的每一个都将包括Windsond或iMet气球探测，以记录温度、水蒸气和风剖面的详细信息，以及风、温度、湿度、和气溶胶廓线的时间分辨率为5分钟或更少。将为从幼儿园到研究生水平的学生开展教育和推广活动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

In this project, the PI and project team will deploy the Mobile Atmospheric Profiling Network (MAPNet) instrumentation suite to take observations of meteorology, aerial fauna such as insect and bird flight activity, and solar radiation changes during the total solar eclipse taking place on April 8, 2024, in central Arkansas. The MAPNet suite will be deployed to three different locations near the totality centerline including a K-12 school system, a high school, and an institute that includes graduate and undergraduate students. It is expected that hundreds of students across these three education levels will gain experience with MAPNet and the collected data. The new observations taken will advance our understanding of rapid changes in our atmospheric in response to fast solar radiation changes and will provide a unique opportunity for students across educational levels to gain experience and/or see how scientific observations are taken and processed.The MAPNet facilities, along with radiosonde balloon launches at each of the three profiling sites, will provide data on changes in vertical profiles of temperature, wind, turbulence, and clouds over the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere, including the boundary layer. The Mobile Alabama X-band (MAX) scanning radar will conduct surveillance and scans to monitor boundary layer airflow and aerial fauna behavior around the MAX radar and profiling sites. Each of the three profiling sites will include Windsond or iMet balloon soundings to document details of temperature, water vapor, and wind profiles as well as measurements of wind, temperature, humidity, and aerosol profiles at a temporal resolution of 5 min or less. Education and outreach activities will be developed for students ranging from kindergarten through the graduate level.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.