Disturbances of the western European ionosphere during the total solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 measured by a wide ionosonde and radar network

Description

The 11 August 1999 Solar eclipse totality path ran across western Europe at near-constant latitudes of about 49°N. It occurred at mid-time of a sequence of three days with steady solar wind and quiet magnetospheric conditions. Its response was observed by a score of ionospheric facilities, which will provide high-resolution probing of the various disturbances. First results allow us to compare the time fluctuations at various distances from totality on the eclipse and adjacent days, inside a 5° West to 5° East longitude area. In this preliminary work the foF1 and foF2 time changes are presented in contour maps on a size grid. They show the expected longitude transit of eclipse perturbation. We venture brief comments on the eclipse-own signatures as separate from the various wave oscillations detected prior to eclipse time by 12.4 MHz panoramic azimuth scans of the Losquet radar near Lannion (Brittanny).

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