Long-Lasting Response of the Global Thermosphere and Ionosphere to the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse

Abstract

Previous studies have been devoted to examining the ionosphere and thermosphere response during the solar eclipse, but the posteclipse response of the global ionosphere and thermosphere has not been well quantified. In this study, for the first time, we quantitatively investigate the posteclipse response of the global ionosphere and thermosphere system to the recent Great American Solar Eclipse using a high-resolution, global, coupled ionosphere-thermosphere-electrodynamics model. It was found that the posteclipse response of the ionosphere and thermosphere is significant and worldwide, which was not expected. Specifically, even 9 hr after the eclipse ended, the globally averaged ionospheric total electron content perturbations were about 0.2 total electron content unit, and the corresponding changes in neutral temperature and winds reached 2 K and 2 m/s. The changes in the global dynamic and energetic processes associated with the solar eclipse contributed to this long-lasting response of the ionosphere and thermosphere during the posteclipse period.