Effects of the 7 march 1970 solar eclipse on atmospheric electricity, a contribution to the boundary layer discussion

Abstract

Measurements of the electric field, the vertical current density, space charge and conductivity have been carried out at five ground stations and three series of free-air measurements during the 7 March 1970 solar eclipse in and near the totality zone. The problem whether the observed variations in electric parameters are caused by near-ground processes (related to eddy diffusion) or by highaltitude processes is not yet solved. It was possible, however, to offer a speculative explanation with the first assumption for the majority of the observations. The most important conclusion is the ecquisition of a better understanding of the requirements for measurements made for investigating solar eclipse effects. Also, it seems that simple models are not sufficient to explain the sequence of variations seen in the data.