Abstract
Abstract. We use the Global Positioning System (GPS) network in northwest China and central Asia to monitor traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), which were possibly excited by the large meteorite blast over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on 15 February 2013. Two TIDs were observed. The first TID was observed 13 min after the blast within a range of 270–600 km from the blast site. It propagated radially from the blast site with a mean velocity and period of 369 m s−1 and 12 min, respectively. The second TID was found in northwest China, 1.5 h after the time of the blast, at ∼ 2500–3100 km from the blast site. This latter TID propagated southeastward with a velocity and period of 410 m s−1 and 23 min, respectively. Severe dissipation of the perturbation total electronic content (TEC) amplitude was observed. Any TIDs propagating in a global range was not found after the meteorite blast. Features of TIDs were compared with those excited by early nuclear explosion tests. It is inferred from our analysis that the energy release of the Chelyabinsk meteorite blast may not be large enough to excite such ionospheric disturbances in a global range as some nuclear explosions did.
Highlights
On 15 February 2013, a large meteorite entered the atmosphere near the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia (54.80◦ N, 61.10◦ E)
A total of 69 stations were located in northwest China and belonged to the Global Positioning System (GPS) network of the Chinese Meteorological Administration, and another six stations belonging to International Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Service (IGS)
This paper reports GPS-network observations of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) that were possibly excited by the large meteorite blast over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on 15 February 2013
Summary
On 15 February 2013, a large meteorite entered the atmosphere near the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia (54.80◦ N, 61.10◦ E). According to calibrated video observations, the meteorite was characterized by a diameter of ∼ 19.8 m and a mass of ∼ 1.3 × 107 kg (Popova et al, 2013) It was first observed at an altitude of 97 km, moving hypersonically towards the northwest at a shallow entry angle (Borovicka et al, 2013). Following the Chelyabinsk meteorite blast, infrasound perturbations in air pressure were observed by ground-based infrasound sensors across the entire globe (Brown, 2013) The propagation of this long-distance infrasound-wave is probably driven by acoustic waveguides below an altitude of 40 km (Pichon et al, 2013). We used the dense GPS network coverage in central Asia and northwest China to monitor propagation features of the traveling ionospheric disturbances following the Chelyabinsk meteorite blast. Because there are few ionospheric stations in the near-field area of Chelyabinsk, the GPS network in northwest China appears to be the nearest dense observational network suitable for observations of the ionospheric effects associated with the meteorite blast
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
