Atmospheric and meteorological responses during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse: advancing workforce development through experiential learning

On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse affected the eastern United States, creating a natural experiment to examine short-term atmospheric responses to an abrupt reduction in solar radiation. We collected observations at the Howard University Beltsville Research Campus (HUBC; 39.05° N, 76.88° W), where ground-based and upper-air measurements captured pre-, during-, and post-eclipse conditions under mostly clear skies. At HUBC, peak obscuration reached ∼89% at 15:20 EDT. Downwelling shortwave irradiance decreased from clear-sky values >900 W m⁻² to <20 W m⁻² (≈98% reduction). Near-surface air temperature declined from 16.3 °C to 13.5 °C (−2.8 °C), lagging maximum obscuration by ∼10 min, while relative humidity increased from ∼28% to ∼34% (a ∼22% increase), consistent with cooling. Surface wind speeds weakened by ∼1 m s⁻¹. HALO Doppler lidar indicated suppressed vertical velocity variance (SD (w) ∼0.5–0.8 m s⁻¹ at peak), consistent with reduced turbulent mixing and transient stabilization of the convective boundary layer. Microwave radiometer profiles showed cooling strongest near the surface with diminished lapse rates aloft. These findings are consistent with an eclipse-induced stabilization of the lower atmosphere and disruption of the normal diurnal cycle. Representing a detailed case study from the Mid-Atlantic, our results contribute to the growing body of eclipse meteorology literature. This effort also served as a powerful STEM education opportunity, engaging students in hands-on fieldwork and data collection, thereby highlighting the value of eclipse events as natural laboratories for both scientific investigation and public engagement.