Vertical Propagation of Acoustic Gravity Waves from the Lower Atmosphere during a Solar Eclipse

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the analysis of a numerical experiment on the generation of acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) in the lower atmosphere and their propagation into the upper atmosphere. The observed variations in atmospheric pressure during the passage of a solar eclipse on March 20, 2015, over Kaliningrad (54° N, 20° E) are considered the be a wave source. The calculation results showed that the passage of a solar eclipse is accompanied in the lower atmosphere by an increase in wave activity in the AGW range with periods of ~4–20 min. In the upper atmosphere, at altitudes of ~200 km, disturbances are formed due to the dissipation of AGWs coming from the lower atmosphere; these disturbances propagate with characteristic periods of ~50 min. The propagation direction of these disturbances was opposite to the propagation direction of the solar eclipse region along the Earth’s surface. The results of the numerical experiment are in qualitative agreement with the results of observations of ionospheric disturbances during the solar eclipse on March 20, 2015.