Open AccessSignature of the 29 March 2006 eclipse on the ionosphere over an equatorial station
Author(s) -
Adeniyi J. O.,
Radicella S. M.,
Adimula I. A.,
Willoughby A. A.,
Oladipo O. A.,
Olawepo O.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2006ja012197
Subject(s) - ionosphere , eclipse , electron density , longitude , solar eclipse , latitude , f region , atmospheric sciences , variation (astronomy) , physics , geology , electron , geodesy , astrophysics , geophysics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
This study documents some results of the effect of the 29 March 2006 eclipse on the ionosphere over Ilorin, Nigeria (longitude 4.57°E, latitude 8.53°N, dip 4.1°S), an equatorial station in the West African region. The maximum obscuration of the eclipse at this station was 99 percent and it occurred before midday. True height electron density profile analysis below the F 2 peak was employed in the study. The effect on the E and F 1 layers was a drastic decrease in electron density, with maximum decrease percentages of 60 and 68 for the E and F 1 layers, respectively. A decrease in foF2 began at about 1 hour 20 min after those in the lower layers had started. Variation of electron density with height showed that the decrease in the electron density occurred through out the E and F 1 heights at about the same time while that of the F 2 region began at lower heights and extended progressively toward the peak of electron density height of the layer. The recovery in the E and F 1 layers has already reached an advanced stage before the effect of the eclipse got to the maximum in the F 2 region. A major departure of hmF2 from the normal variation was observed and discussed.