Solar eclipse: Temperature, wind, and ozone in the stratosphere

Ballard, Harold N.; Valenzuela, R.X.; Izquierdo, M.; Randhawa, Jagir S.; Morla, Rogelio; Bettle, James F.

doi:10.1029/jb074i002p00711

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This result is in agreement with Eckermann et al (2007) who obtained similar values for the 2002 total solar eclipse with a prototype high-altitude global numerical weather prediction model. However, Eckermann et al (2007) pointed out that several rocket soundings reported temperature decreases of 5-12 K at 50-60-km altitude during solar eclipses (Ballard et al 1969;Quiroz and Henry 1973;Randhawa 1974;Schmidlin and Olsen 1984). It is thus possible that the amplitude of the stratospheric thermal forcing term was not properly estimated in our model.…”

Section: ) Stratospheric Responsementioning

confidence: 67%

Surface Pressure Fluctuations Produced by the Total Solar Eclipse of 1 August 2008

Marty

Dalaudier

Ponceau

et al. 2013

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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During a solar eclipse, the moon's shadow progressively occults a part of Earth from the solar flux. This induces a cooling in the atmospheric layers that usually absorb the solar radiation. Since the eclipse shadow travels within the atmosphere at supersonic velocity, this cooling generates a planetary-scale bow wave of internal gravity waves. The purpose of this article is to estimate the surface atmospheric pressure fluctuations produced by the passage of the 1 August 2008 total solar eclipse and to compare these pressure fluctuations with those recorded by a temporary network of microbarographs and by the infrasound stations of the International Monitoring System. The surface pressure fluctuations expected at all the measurement sites are estimated using a linear spectral numerical model. It is shown that the cooling of both the ozonosphere and the troposphere can produce detectable pressure fluctuations at the ground surface but that the tropospheric cooling is likely to be the predominant source. Since the expected eclipse signals are in a frequency range that is highly perturbed by atmospheric tides and meteorological phenomena, the pressure fluctuations produced by these latter synoptic disturbances are characterized and removed from the recorded signals. Lowfrequency gravity waves starting just after the passage of the eclipse are then brought to light at most measurement sites. The time-frequency characteristics of these waves are similar to those obtained from the model, which strongly suggests that these waves were produced by the passage of the 1 August 2008 solar eclipse.

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Section: ) Stratospheric Responsementioning

confidence: 67%

Surface Pressure Fluctuations Produced by the Total Solar Eclipse of 1 August 2008

Marty

Dalaudier

Ponceau

et al. 2013

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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“…Some rocket soundings of the middle atmosphere have reported temperature decreases in the 5–12 K range at 50–60 km altitude during eclipse passages [ Ballard et al , 1969; Quiroz and Henry , 1973; Randhawa , 1974; Schmidlin and Olsen , 1984]. Quiroz and Henry [1973] and Schmidlin and Olsen [1984] also reported substantial increases in meridional wind speeds, peaking at 20–40 m s −1 at ∼60 km, which Quiroz and Henry [1973] interpreted as a balanced circulation response to eclipse‐induced changes in the lateral temperature gradients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric effects of the total solar eclipse of 4 December 2002 simulated with a high‐altitude global model

et al. 2007

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[1] The atmosphere's response to the total solar eclipse of 4 December 2002 is studied using a prototype high-altitude global numerical weather prediction model (NOGAPS-ALPHA). Local reductions in solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the eclipse are estimated using astronomical calculations of umbral and penumbral surface trajectories and observed solar limb darkening at $200-300 nm. In NOGAPS-ALPHA these UV eclipse shadows yield stratospheric radiative cooling rate footprints peaking near 27 K day À1 , a value 2-3 times larger than assumed in previous modeling. Difference fields between NOGAPS-ALPHA runs with and without this eclipse forcing reveal vertically deep middle atmospheric responses, with three-dimensional horizontal structures very similar to the large-scale ''bow-wave'' response first proposed by Chimonas (1970). Such structure appears clearly only at later times when total eclipses have abated and gravity waves generated in the stratosphere have had time to propagate vertically. Bow-wave amplitudes and direct thermal cooling responses are both small (]1 K for temperature and ]2-3 m s À1 for horizontal winds), contradicting some rocketsonde measurements that suggest much larger responses near 50-60 km altitude. We also find clear evidence of a bow-wave-like response in the model's surface pressure fields, with an amplitude $0.1-0.5 hPa, while surface air temperatures in NOGAPS-ALPHA show $4 K cooling over Africa during the eclipse. Both findings are consistent with surface atmospheric data acquired during previous eclipse passages.

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“…The eclipse swept over South Korean peninsula with starting phase at 00:30 UT (09:30 KST) and ending phase at 03:13 UT (12:13 KST) with maximum at 01:47 UT (10:47 KST), respectively, having maximum solar obscuration of about ~84%. The total solar eclipse effects include the variations not only in the ion/electron densities but also in the other background parameters such as magnetic field, temperature and neutral compositions [1]. The effects of solar eclipse on different regions of the atmosphere have been studied extensively by different ground based instruments (coherent and incoherent scatter radars) [3] and satellite based measurements (Global positioning system (GPS), Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) etc.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous observations of D-, E- and F-regions of the ionosphere during the solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 over South Korea: First results

Phanikumar

Kwak

Ram

et al. 2011

2011 XXXth URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium

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A Solar eclipse event occurred on 22 July 2009 over South Korean Peninsula with a maximum obscuration of ~84% has been investigated to discuss the variations in the mid-latitude ionosphere. Study of solar eclipse effect on the different ionospheric regions (espcially D-region) has been limited till today, although there is a few studies concentrated on the electron density variations and GPS TEC measurements in ionosphere. Present study aims to investigate the effect of solar eclipse on all ionospheric regions including D-, E-, and F-regions simultaneously by conducting a campaign in South Korea. The observations reported here therefore should shed some light on the solar eclipse induced mid-latitude ionospheric dynamics which leads to the changes in D-, E-and also F-regions of the ionosphere.

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Solar eclipse: Temperature, wind, and ozone in the stratosphere

Cited by 14 publications

References 3 publications

Surface Pressure Fluctuations Produced by the Total Solar Eclipse of 1 August 2008

Surface Pressure Fluctuations Produced by the Total Solar Eclipse of 1 August 2008

Atmospheric effects of the total solar eclipse of 4 December 2002 simulated with a high‐altitude global model

Simultaneous observations of D-, E- and F-regions of the ionosphere during the solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 over South Korea: First results

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