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www.ann-geophys.net/26/107/2008/
© European Geosciences Union 2008
The ionospheric responses to the 11 August 1999 solar eclipse: observations and modeling
1Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
2Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Abstract. A total eclipse occurred on 11 August 1999 with its path of totality passing over central Europe in the latitude range 40°–50° N. The ionospheric responses to this eclipse were measured by a wide ionosonde network. On the basis of the measurements of foE, foF1, and foF2 at sixteen ionosonde stations in Europe, we statistically analyze the variations of these parameters with a function of eclipse magnitude. To model the eclipse effects more accurately, a revised eclipse factor, FR, is constructed to describe the variations of solar radiation during the solar eclipse. Then we simulate the effect of this eclipse on the ionosphere with a mid- and low-latitude ionosphere theoretical model by using the revised eclipse factor during this eclipse. Simulations are highly consistent with the observations for the response in the E-region and F1-region. Both of them show that the maximum response of the mid-latitude ionosphere to the eclipse is found in the F1-region. Except the obvious ionospheric response at low altitudes below 500 km, calculations show that there is also a small response at high altitudes up to about 2000 km. In addition, calculations show that when the eclipse takes place in the Northern Hemisphere, a small ionospheric disturbance also appeared in the conjugate hemisphere.
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Citation: Le, H., Liu, L., Yue, X., and Wan, W.: The ionospheric responses to the 11 August 1999 solar eclipse: observations and modeling, Ann. Geophys., 26, 107-116, 2008. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
