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Atmospheric Gravity Waves to be Expected from the Solar Eclipse of June 30, 1973

Nature volume 240, pages 30–32 (1972)Cite this article

Abstract

Chimonas and Hines1 have pointed out that the Moon's shadow on the Earth's atmosphere during a solar eclipse constitutes a cooling region travelling at supersonic speed. It may therefore be expected to generate a bow wave with a magnitude of about 10−5 atmosphere at ground level and 10−1 of ambient pressure at 200 km altitude. Chimonas2 estimates the frequency of the bow wave to be very low, corresponding to a period of about 4 h.

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References

  1. Chimonas, G., and Hines, C. O., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 875 (1970).

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  2. Chimonas, G., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 5545 (1970).

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  3. Davis, M. J., and da Rosa, A. V., Nature, 226, 1123 (1970).

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  4. Carlson, H. C., Harper, R., Wickwar, V., Showen, R. C., Bahnke, R., Trast, T. F., Cogger, L. R., and Nelson, C. J., Nature, 226, 1124 (1970).

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  6. Chimonas, G., and Hines, C. O., J. Geophys. Res., 76, 7003 (1971).

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  7. Duncombe, J. S., US Naval Observatory Circular No. 135.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, University of Ghana,

    TOM BEER & A. N. MAY

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  1. TOM BEER
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  2. A. N. MAY
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BEER, T., MAY, A. Atmospheric Gravity Waves to be Expected from the Solar Eclipse of June 30, 1973. Nature 240, 30–32 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/240030a0

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