The Solar Eclipse Effects on the Upper Thermosphere

Theoretical studies have shown that the solar eclipse can have significant impacts on the thermospheric mass density, which, however, has not been confirmed from the observational perspective. In this study, we present direct observations of the thermospheric density responses to three solar eclipses based on the measurements of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE). It was observed that the eclipses induced about 20% and 25% density depletions at GRACE altitudes (360 and 480 km, respectively) and about 10% depletions at GOCE altitudes (similar to 270 km). Moreover, the eclipse could generate large-scale traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs), which propagate globally even from the duskside to the dawnside after the eclipse ended. Those thermospheric responses could be generally reproduced by Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). However, the simulated densities recover more rapidly than the observations at the duskside. This study provides observational evidence to validate the results from theoretical models and further bring insights into the mechanism of eclipse effects on the ionosphere-thermosphere system.

Automated summary

This study presents direct observations of the thermospheric density responses to three solar eclipses, showing density depletions and large-scale traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs). While the observed responses generally agree with simulations from the TIEGCM model, there are differences in the recovery rates between the simulations and observations, providing insights into the mechanism of eclipse effects on the ionosphere-thermosphere system.