VLF Remote Sensing across and along the Totality Path during the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse using a VLF Receiver Network

TL;DR

This study used a novel VLF receiver network during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse to observe amplitude and phase changes in VLF signals, revealing dynamic ionospheric effects along and across the totality path.

Contribution

It presents the first observations of VLF propagation effects during a solar eclipse with a receiver network aligned along and across the totality path, capturing detailed ionospheric responses.

Findings

Observed 5-10 dB amplitude changes during eclipse

Detected a 13 dB surge in amplitude near NAA transmitter

Identified a `W' shaped amplitude response pattern

Abstract

During the total solar eclipse in the United States on April 8, 2024, we observed the amplitude and phase of VLF signals from five U.S. Navy VLF transmitters using a novel geometry of VLF receivers deployed along and across the totality path. Nine receiver sites (four of them inside the totality path) were deployed to collect the data in different transmitter-receiver configurations relative to the totality path, which intersected with the radio propagation paths from the Cutler, MA (NAA, 24 kHz) and the LaMoure, ND (NML, 25.2 kHz) Navy transmitters. The transmitters themselves experienced 98.7 (NAA) and 68 (NML) solar obscuration at 75 km altitude. The novelty of the observations is the near-total obscuration of one of the transmitters and observations of several radio propagation paths closely aligned to the path of totality. This configuration enabled observations of the effects of the Moon shadow progression from Texas to Maine for over three hours on a total of 28 radio paths (with coverage from 55 to 100) with transmitter-to-receiver distances ranging from 780 km to 7700 km. Both positive and negative (5- 10 dB) amplitude changes were observed by receivers throughout the eclipse period. The observed phase changes were mostly negative. The unique observations of VLF propagation along the totality path produced a temporally dynamic quasiperiodic `W' shaped response in amplitude that can be used to determine the gradients and spatial scales of the eclipse effect on the lower ionosphere. For observations within 780 km of NAA, the eclipse produced a 13 dB surge in amplitude.