Modeling Amateur Radio Soundings of the Ionospheric Response to the 2017 Great American Eclipse
Abstract
On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse traversed the continental United States and caused large-scale changes in ionospheric densities. These were detected as changes in medium- and high-frequency radio propagation by the Solar Eclipse QSO Party citizen science experiment organized by the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (hamsci.org). This is the first eclipse-ionospheric study to make use of measurements from a citizen-operated, global-scale HF propagation network and develop tools for comparison to a physics-based model ionosphere. Eclipse effects were observed ±0.3 hr on 1.8 MHz, ±0.75 hr on 3.5 and 7 MHz, and ±1 hr on 14 MHz and are consistent with eclipse-induced ionospheric densities. Observations were simulated using the PHaRLAP raytracing toolkit in conjunction with the eclipsed SAMI3 ionospheric model. Model results suggest 1.8, 3.5, and 7 MHz refracted at h≥125 km altitude with elevation angles θ≥22°, while 14 MHz signals refracted at h < 125 km with elevation angles θ < 10°.
- Publication:
-
Geophysical Research Letters
- Pub Date:
- May 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1029/2018GL077324
- Bibcode:
- 2018GeoRL..45.4665F
- Keywords:
-
- solar eclipse;
- ionosphere;
- amateur radio;
- citizen science;
- ham radio;
- HF propagation