Total solar eclipse effects on evapotranspiration captured by groundwater fluctuations in a Southern Appalachian fen

Solar eclipses provide opportunities to observe unusual natural phenomena. This paper presents data showing that diurnal groundwater fluctuations were briefly interrupted in a Southern Appalachian fen following a total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. Groundwater levels, which were rapidly declining in the middle of a summer afternoon, nearly stabilized following totality. This anomaly in the water‐level record was caused by reduced evapotranspiration (ET). ET was significantly lower (36% ± 11%, p 0.05). These findings may prompt evaluation of existing groundwater records along the path of totality from past eclipses or plan for studies ahead of future eclipses.