Ionospheric Effects Possibly From Internal Gravity Waves Upon Total Electron Content During The Solar Eclipse Of 7 March 1970

Variations of the total ionospheric electron content are assumed to indicate the motion of eclipse-produced internal atmospheric gravity waves. Variation of the electron content before, during, and after the eclipse of 7 March 1970 was obtained from polarization of ATS-3 and S-66 BEC satellite signals. The resolution of the content data is better than 2 degrees in polarization or 5 x 10 (to the power of 10) e/sq. cm in content. The maximum possible error of the content-variation measurements using our automatic ATS system is less than plus or minus 6 degrees of polarization or less than plus or minus 1.4 x 10 (to the power of 11) e/sq. cm in electron content. The average period of the content variations was found to be 18 plus or minus 3 minutes. From BEC observations across the predicted wake of the gravity waves, an estimate was made of the wavelength and velocity of the atmospheric undulations and found to be 320 km and 296 m/s, respectively. (Author).