HF Radar Observations and Modeling of the Impact of the 8 April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse on the Ionosphere-Thermosphere System

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-28-2024

Abstract

The path of totality of the 8 April 2024 solar eclipse traversed the fields-of-view of four US SuperDARN radars. This rare scenario provided an excellent opportunity to monitor the large-scale ionospheric response to the eclipse. In this study, we present observations made by the Blackstone (BKS) SuperDARN radar and a Digisonde during the eclipse. Two striking effects were observed by the BKS radar: (a) the Doppler velocities associated with ground scatter coalesced into a pattern clearly organized by the line of totality, with a reversal in sign across this line, and, (b) a delay of (Formula presented.) 45 min between time of maximum obscuration and maximum effect on the skip distance. The skip distance estimated using a SAMI3 simulation of the eclipse did not however capture the asymmetric time-delay. These observations suggest that the neutral atmosphere plays an important role in controlling ionospheric plasma dynamics, which were missing in SAMI3 simulations.

Identifier

85211597717 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112484

e-ISSN

19448007

ISSN

00948276

Issue

24

Volume

51

Grant

AGS‐1934997

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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