Ionospheric total electron content response to the Great American Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017

Using a comprehensive database of similar to 4,000 ground-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems stations, we investigate the ionosphere's response to the 21 August 2017 solar eclipse. The high-resolution, two-dimensional maps of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) were constructed using combined GPS and GLONASS measurements. Solar eclipse resulted in a continent-size TEC decrease with stronger effects up to 50% over the U.S. eastern coast. Along the totality path within an area of 75% obscuration TEC decreased by similar to 30-40%. We reveal a latitudinal dependence of the TEC response with equatorward expansion of TEC depletion. Recovery signature in the form of large-scale TEC enhancement up to 20-30% occurred in posteclipse period. Swarm and DMSP satellites encountered the eclipse-induced plasma density depletion and posteclipse increase at 450 km height and above. These effects were associated with downward plasma fluxes from topside ionosphere/plasmasphere and thermospheric changes.

To Access Resource:

Questions? Email Resource Support Contact:

  • opensky@ucar.edu
    UCAR/NCAR - Library

Resource Type publication
Temporal Range Begin N/A
Temporal Range End N/A
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat N/A
Bounding Box South Lat N/A
Bounding Box West Long N/A
Bounding Box East Long N/A
Spatial Representation N/A
Spatial Resolution N/A
Related Links N/A
Additional Information N/A
Resource Format PDF
Standardized Resource Format PDF
Asset Size N/A
Legal Constraints

Copyright 2018 American Geophysical Union.
Access Constraints None
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name N/A
Resource Support Email opensky@ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library
Distributor N/A
Metadata Contact Name N/A
Metadata Contact Email opensky@ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library

Author Cherniak, Iurii
Zakharenkova, Irina
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2018-02-05T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2023-08-18T19:16:27.745203
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:21486
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Cherniak, Iurii, Zakharenkova, Irina. (2018). Ionospheric total electron content response to the Great American Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7zg6vxc. Accessed 25 April 2024.

Harvest Source