Atmospheric gravity wave production for the solar eclipse of October 23, 1976

CHIMONAS and Hines 1 suggested that during a solar eclipse the cool shadow of the Moon moving with supersonic speed through the Earth's atmosphere should generate bow waves. Upper atmospheric disturbances, having quasi-periods of some 20 min, were recorded 2,3 after the eclipse of March 7, 1970, and were regarded as possible verification of Chimonas and Hines's 9 suggestion. Other observations 4,5 following the eclipse of June 30, 1973, failed to detect such disturbances. The eclipse of October 23, 1976, will provide another opportunity in attempting to record eclipse-generated atmospheric disturbances.