Seasonal and diurnal variability of the meteor flux at high latitudes observed using PFISR

We report in this and a companion paper [Fentzke, J.T., Janches, D., Sparks, J.J., 2008. Latitudinal and seasonal variability of the micrometeor input function: A study using model predictions and observations from Arecibo and PFISR. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, this issue, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.07.015] a complete seasonal study of the micrometeor input function (MIF) at high latitudes using meteor head-echo radar observations performed with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR). This flux is responsible for a number of atmospheric phenomena; for example, it could be the source of meteoric smoke that is thought to act as condensation nuclei in the formation of ice particles in the polar mesosphere. The observations presented here were performed for full 24-h periods near the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes, times at which the seasonal variability of the MIF is predicted to be large at high latitudes [Janches, D., Heinselman, C.J., Chau, J.L., Chandran, A., Woodman, R., 2006. Modeling of the micrometeor input function in the upper atmosphere observed by High Power and Large Aperture Radars, JGR, 11, A07317, doi:10.1029/2006JA011628]. Precise altitude and radar instantaneous line-of-sight (radial) Doppler velocity information are obtained for each of the hundreds of events detected every day. We show that meteor rates, altitude, and radial velocity distributions have a large seasonal dependence. This seasonal variability can be explained by a change in the relative location of the meteoroid sources with respect to the observer. Our results show that the meteor flux into the upper atmosphere is strongly anisotropic and its characteristics must be accounted for when including this flux into models attempting to explain related aeronomical phenomena. In addition, the measured acceleration and received signal strength distribution do not seem to depend on season; which may suggest that these observed quantities do not have a strong dependence on entry angle.     

Modeling the meteor head echo using Arecibo radar observations

This paper reports results obtained using a combined set of models to determine meteoroid properties by comparing expected and observed meteor head-echo signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and line-of-sight Doppler velocity as measured in high-power and large-aperture (HPLA) radar observations. For this task we model: (1) meteor ablation and ionization processes, (2) meteor head-echo radar cross-section (RCS), (3) the radar equation, and (4) the radar antenna gain pattern, together with an automated least-squares fitting procedure to estimate meteoroid and observation parameters (i.e. aspect angle, location within the radar beam, etc.). We compared our simulated results with 236 head-echo events observed using the Arecibo 430 MHz radar in Puerto Rico. We found good agreement between modeled and observed SNR versus meteor altitude profiles for a broad range of head-echo observations. We also find reasonable agreement between meteoroid mass distributions resulting from these models and estimated using dynamical arguments, with the dynamical mass generally resulting in lower values by about 1–2 orders of magnitude. A characteristic of our methodology is that we can trace back the original mass and velocity of the meteoroid “above” the atmosphere (∼150 km altitude) required to produce the observed meteors. We find that, the original mass is required to be, on average, 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than that at the time of observation, and 3 orders of magnitude larger than estimated using dynamical equations. These results suggest that many meteor head echoes are observed towards the end of the particle's life, which has significant implications for the use of these observations for the determination of meteoroid properties. The automated fitting procedure is very sensitive to the antenna pattern, and therefore allows for precise estimates of the location of the meteoroid's trajectory within the Arecibo radar beam. The results indicate a noticeable, but weak, dependence between the distance of the particle's trajectory from the center of the beam (i.e. maximum gain) and the mass and velocity of the meteoroid. This suggests that the Arecibo radar is not particularly biased toward a specific velocity population of meteoroids (i.e. high velocity) as has been suggested in previous work.     

Determination of physical and radiant meteor properties using PFISR interferometry measurements of head echoes

Over the past decade, High Power and Large Aperture (HPLA) radars have been widely utilized for the study of sub-millimeter extraterrestrial particles via the detection of the meteor head-echo. These observations have been a successful tool in the study of the sporadic meteor background, however, they have been limited by the lack of precise knowledge of the particle's location within the radar beam and its absolute trajectory and velocity. This limitation prevents for example the accurate determination of the meteors radiant and orbit. Interferometry measurements of the head-echo has been proven to be a detection technique that satisfies this need. Unfortunately very few radars are capable of performing them. We have developed a methodology which takes advantage of the multi-receiving capabilities of the 450 MHz Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) enabling us to utilize the phased array of crossed-dipoles as an interferometer. This new PFISR capability allows us to determine the instantaneous position of meteors within the radar beam. This enables us to determine absolute velocities and ultimately meteor radiant and orbit around the Sun. In this work, we present initial results from 9 h of observations during which 142 particles were individually detected by the three different receiving channels simultaneously. For these meteors absolute velocities were obtained and meteor dynamical, physical and radiant properties were derived.     

Gravity waves in the mesopause region observed by meteor radar: 1. A simple measurement technique

A simple new technique for measuring gravity-wave activity using meteor radars is described. The technique uses the variance of horizontal wind velocities measured by individual meteors as a proxy for the activity of the gravity-wave field. It is sensitive to gravity waves with horizontal wavelengths of up to about 400 km and periods up to about 3 h. The technique can be used to investigate the vertical structure of the gravity-wave field at heights between approximately 80 and 100 km and with a time resolution of approximately 6 h. The technique is demonstrated using data from an all-sky meteor radar based at Rothera, Antarctica (68°S, 68°W). Observations made over Rothera for 2006 and 2007 reveal a seasonal behaviour with a semi-annual cycle in wave activity. Wave activity maximises in summer and winter and minimises at the equinoxes. Monthly mean gravity-wave activity increases with height in all seasons except in summer when gravity-wave variances show little or no increase with height below 90 km. Comparisons between the gravity-wave activity determined by this meteor-variance technique and other measurements at similar latitudes in the Antarctic reveal generally good agreement.     

Seasonal variation of meteor decay times observed at King Sejong Station (62.22°S, 58.78°W), Antarctica

We analyzed meteor decay times measured by a VHF radar at King Sejong Station by classifying strong and weak meteors according to their estimated electron line densities. The height profiles of monthly averaged decay times show a peak whose altitude varies with season at altitudes of 80?85 km. The higher peak during summer is consistent with colder temperatures that cause faster chemical reactions of electron removal. By adopting temperature dependent empirical recombination rates from rocket experiments and meteor electron densities of 2×10⁵?2×10⁶ cm^?3 in a decay time model, we are able to account for decreasing decay times below the peak for all seasons without invoking meteor electron removal by hypothetical icy particles.     

Polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) studied at Bragg wavelengths of 2.8 m, 67 cm,and 16 cm

We present observations of radar volume reflectivities under conditions of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) at three frequencies, i.e., 53.5, 224, and 930 MHz corresponding to Bragg wavelengths of 2.8, 0.67, and 0.16 m. These measurements were made with the ALWIN radar in Andenes and the EISCAT VHF and UHF radars in Tromsø. Contributions to the signal at 930 MHz by incoherent scatter are used to estimate electron number densities and their gradient at PMSE altitudes, and spectral width measurements of Doppler spectra recorded at 224 MHz are used to estimate the turbulent energy dissipation rate. We further derive a theoretical expression for the radar volume reflectivity for the case of turbulent scatter aided by a large Schmidt number (i.e., the current standard theory of PMSE) and show that our observations quantitatively agree with this theory if Schmidt numbers between 2500 and 5000 are assumed. We then show that these Schmidt numbers correspond to ice particles with radii in the range 20–30 nm which should frequently occur in the polar summer mesopause region. In addition, we show that for the short period when PMSE was observed at UHF frequencies the volume reflectivity is proportional to a factor determined by the turbulent energy dissipation rate, electron number density, and the electron number density gradient in agreement with theory. We consider our findings as strong support that PMSE at all considered frequencies is indeed created by turbulent scatter in the presence of a large Schmidt number. We finally highlight that ultimate proof of this concept will require the direct measurement of ice particle sizes in a PMSE environment probed by radars covering frequencies between 50 MHz and 1 GHz.     

Observations of peculiar sporadic sodium structures and their relation with wind variations

Resonance lidar observations of sodium density in the upper mesosphere region over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) rarely show complex structures with rapid enhancements of sodium density, completely different from normal sporadic sodium structures. The hourly averaged meteor radar zonal winds over Trivandrum (8.5°N, 76.5°E) show an eastward shear with altitude during the nights, when these events are formed. As suggested by Kane et al. [2001. Joint observations of sodium enhancements and field-aligned ionospheric irregularities. Geophysical Research Letters 28, 1375–1378], our observations show that the complex structures may be formed due to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, which can occur in the region of strong wind shear.     

Long-term thermospheric neutral wind observations over the northern polar cap

We study the solar dependence of the thermospheric dynamics based on more than 20 years Fabry–Perot interferometer O 6300 Å emission observation of polar cap thermospheric wind from three stations: Thule (76.53°N, 68.73°W, MLAT 86N), Eureka (80.06°N, 86.4°W, MLAT 89N), and Resolute (74.72°N, 94.98°W, MLAT 84N) in combination with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM). All three stations showed a dominant diurnal oscillation in both the meridional and zonal components, which is a manifestation of anti-sunward thermospheric wind in the polar cap. The three-station observations and the TIEGCM simulation exhibit varying degree of correlations between the anti-sunward thermospheric wind and solar F10.7 index. The diurnal oscillation is stronger at Eureka (∼150 m/s) than that at Resolute (∼100 m/s) according to both observations and TIEGCM simulation. The semidiurnal oscillation is stronger at Resolute (∼20 m/s) than that at Eureka based (∼10 m/s) on data and model results. These results are consistent with a two-cell convection pattern in the polar cap thermospheric winds. The Thule results are less consistent between the model and observations. The simulated meridional wind diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations are stronger than those observed.     

Common-volume measurements of mesospheric winds: 2. Small scale structure implications

Two common volume experiments were conducted in August 1996 and July 1997 between the Durham meteor wind radar (43.1°N, 70.9°W) and the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar, (42.6°N, 71.5°W) to compare the techniques in measuring neutral winds at an altitude of 100 km. For this comparison the vertical winds are assumed to be zero and only the horizontal components of the radar line of sight velocities are used. Analysis of the data reveals overall general agreement, but some large deviations in the wind components are observed at specific times and these are examined closely. Error analysis of the radar measurements is presented here, and emphasis is placed on the careful delineation of the effect of spatial variations in the wind field observed by the two radars. Since the spatial resolution of both radars is<3 km both horizontally and vertically, some of the three dimensional properties of the horizontal wind component can be estimated. For the incoherent scatter radar with its narrow steerable beam, the spatial location of the sampling points could be chosen; however, finer sampling of the wind field results in more temporal smearing due to the fixed measurement time for each point. For the meteor radar the spatial sample points occur randomly within the system beam since they depend on the chance location of observed meteor trails. Both systems spatially undersample the wind field in most cases, but with careful consideration of the system errors for both radars, it is shown that small scale (∼10 km) wind variations must exist at these altitudes with rms velocity differences of ∼25 m/s.     

Pulse-level interference and meteor processing of Arecibo ISR data

We introduce a simple but effective order statistics filter for the pulse-level interference and meteor processing of Arecibo ionosphere observation data. Using this filter and the techniques introduced by Wen et al. [2005. Adaptive filtering for the separation of incoherent scatter and meteor signals for Arecibo Observation Data. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 67, 1190–1195] we effectively remove/separate the unwanted signals, such as impulsive interference and meteor returns, encountered during incoherent scatter radar (ISR) observations of the ionosphere. We further analyze the separated signals to obtain uniquely “cleaned” incoherent scatter power data and scientifically valuable meteor parameters. We present the processed incoherent scatter results from 22/23 March 2004 observations and the altitude and the speed distributions of the separated meteor signals. The nighttime photochemical E-region is clearly revealed for the first time as a result of meteor and interference removal. Additionally, these results reveal the first major bias in large aperture radar meteor headecho results—the meteor speed distribution is flattened by the absence of at least 50% of the events with duration less than 10 ms revealed by meteor-specific observations. Meteor data derived from standard incoherent scatter data always displays this bias.     

Gravity waves in the mesopause region observed by meteor radar, 2: Climatologies of gravity waves in the Antarctic and Arctic

A simple technique has been used to investigate gravity waves in the Antarctic and Arctic mesosphere. Data from two meteor radars are used, one at Rothera in the Antarctic (68°S) and one at Esrange in the Arctic (68°N). Observations have been made from 2005 to 2008 in the Antarctic and from 2000 to 2008 in the Arctic. The results reveal a seasonal behaviour with a semi-annual cycle. Over both sites wave activity maximises at the solstices and minimises at the equinoxes. Monthly-mean gravity-wave activity increases with height in all seasons except in summer when gravity-wave variances show little or no increase with height at heights below about 90 km. Above about 90 km in summer there is a rapid increase in wave activity. We suggest that this summer-time behaviour is a consequence of rapid wave growth as gravity waves ascend into the more stable air of the lower thermosphere. Differences between the Arctic and Antarctic gravity-wave field are also evident. In particular, a higher level of gravity-wave activity is observed in the Antarctic spring compared to the Arctic spring. We suggest that these inter-hemispheric differences may be the result of differences in the generation of gravity waves in the polar troposphere and stratosphere.     

Dynamics of North American sector ionospheric and thermospheric response during the November 2004 superstorm

We present a study of ionospheric and thermospheric response during a November 9–10, 2004 major geomagnetic storm event (DsT ～?300 nT). We utilize the North American sector longitude chain of incoherent scatter radars at Arecibo, Millstone Hill, and Sondrestrom, operating as part of a coordinated international mesosphere/lower thermosphere coupling study experiment. Total electron content (TEC) determinations from global positioning system (GPS) ground receivers, ground magnetometer traces from the Canadian CANOPUS array, Defense Meteorological Satellite Platform (DMSP) topside data, and global convection patterns from the SuperDARN radar network are analyzed to place the detailed radar data in proper mesoscale context. The plasmaspheric boundary layer (PBL) expanded greatly in the dusk sector during ring current intensification to span more than 25° of magnetic latitude, reaching as far south as 30° invariant latitude. Strong sub-auroral polarization stream velocities of more than 1 km/s were accompanied by large upwards thermal O+ fluxes to the overlying magnetosphere. The large PBL expansion subsequently exposed both Millstone Hill and Sondrestrom to the auroral convection pattern, which developed a complex multicell and reverse convection response under strongly northward IMF conditions during a period of global interplanetary electric field penetration. Large traveling atmospheric and ionospheric disturbances caused significant neutral wind and ion velocity surges in the mid-latitude and tropical ionosphere and thermosphere, with substorm activity launching equatorward neutral wind enhancements and subsequent mid-latitude dynamo responses at Millstone Hill. However, ionosphere and thermosphere observations at Arecibo point to significant disturbance propagation modification in the post-dusk sector PBL region.     

Interannual variability of the S=1 and S=2 components of the semidiurnal tide in the Antarctic MLT

Twelve years of horizontal wind data from the Scott Base MF radar and the Halley SuperDARN radar recorded between January 1996 and December 2007 are analysed to study the interannual variability of the migrating (S=2) and non-migrating (S=1) components of the semidiurnal tide around 78°S in the Antarctic upper mesosphere. Significant quasi-biennial modulation of the summer time S=1 component is observed. During early summer the amplitude of the component is up to 4 ms^?1 stronger during the easterly phase of the equatorial stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) measured at 30 hPa. No statistically significant effect is seen in amplitude of the migrating component of the tide, or in the phase (time of maximum) of either component. These results are discussed in the light of previous observations of the interannual variability of the semidiurnal tide.     

High resolution mapping of Earth tide response based on GPS data in Japan

We observe the Earth tidal fields at diurnal and semi-diurnal periods using Kinematic Precise Point Positioning (KPPP) GPS analysis. Our KPPP GPS solutions compare well with super-conducting gravimeter (SG) observations and a theoretical Earth tidal model, that includes both ocean tide loading model and body tides. We make a high resolution map of the observed Earth tidal response fields using the Japanese GEONET GPS network which consists of 1200 sites. We find that: (1) the average phase of GPS data lags 0.11 ± 0.04° from our theoretical Earth tidal model, (2) the average amplitude ratio between GPS and the theoretical Earth tidal model is 1.007 ± 0.003, (3) the amplitude in the Kyushu district is about 1.0–1.5 ± 0.3% larger than in the Hokkaido district, and (4) the amplitude at the Japan Sea side is about 0.5 ± 0.2% larger than that at the Pacific Ocean side. These results suggest that we may be able to place constraints on Earth structure using GPS-derived tidal information.     

Regional response of the mesosphere–lower thermosphere dynamics over Scandinavia to solar proton events and geomagnetic storms in late October 2003

The short-term regional responses of the mesosphere–lower thermosphere (MLT) dynamics over Scandinavia to the exceptionally strong solar storms with their accompanying solar proton fluxes on the Earth in late October 2003 have been investigated using radar measurements at Andenes (69°N, 16°E) and Esrange (68°N, 21°E). Several solar activity storms resulted in solar proton events (SPEs) at this time, but a particularly active period of high proton fluxes occurred between 28 and 31 October 2003. The significant temperature drop (∼25 K), detected by the meteor radar at Andenes at altitude ∼90 km, was in line with the enhancement of the proton fluxes and was caused by the dramatic reduction of the ozone in the high-latitude middle atmosphere monitored by satellite measurements. This exceptionally strong phenomenon in late October 2003 was composed of three geomagnetic storms, with the first one occurring in the daytime of 29 October and the other two storms in the nighttime of 29 and 30 October, respectively. The responses of the prevailing wind and the main tides (24- and 12-h tides) were studied in detail. It was found that the response of the MLT dynamics to the first geomagnetic storm occurring in the daytime and accompanied by solar proton fluxes is very different from those to the second and third geomagnetic storms with onsets during the nighttime. Some physical mechanisms have been suggested in order to explain the observed short-term variability of the MLT dynamics. This case study revealed the impact of the SPEs observed in late October 2003 and the timing of the geomagnetic storms on the MLT neutral wind responses observed over Scandinavia.     

Noctilucent cloud in the western Arctic in 2005: Simultaneous lidar and camera observations and analysis

We report observations of a noctilucent cloud (NLC) over central Alaska by a ground-based lidar and camera on the night of 9–10 August 2005. The lidar at Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Chatanika (65°N, 147°W) measured a maximum integrated backscatter coefficient of 2.4×10^?6 sr^?1 with a peak backscatter coefficient of 2.6×10^?9 m^?1 sr^?1 corresponding to an aerosol backscatter ratio of 120 at an altitude of 82.1 km. The camera at Donnelly Dome, 168 km southeast of PFRR, recorded an extensive NLC display across the sky with distinct filamentary features corresponding to wave structures measured by the lidar. The occurrence of the maximum integrated backscatter coefficient corresponded to the passage of a bright cloud band to the southwest over PFRR. The camera observations indicate that the cloud band had a horizontal width of 50 km and a length of 150 km. The horizontal scale of the cloud band was confirmed by medium-frequency radar wind measurements that reported mesopause region winds of 30 m/s to the southwest during the period when the cloud band passed over PFRR. Comparison of these measurements with current NLC microphysical models suggests a lower bound on the water vapor mixing ratio at 83 km of 7–9 ppmv and a cloud ice mass of 1.5–1.8×10³ kg. Satellite measurements show that this NLC display occurred during a burst of cloud activity that began on 5 August and lasted for 10 days. This cloud appeared 10 days after a launch of the space shuttle. We discuss the appearance of NLCs in August over several years at this lower polar latitude site in terms of planetary wave activity and space shuttle launches.     

基于三亚VHF雷达的场向不规则体观测研究：3. 距离扩展流星尾迹回波

距离扩展流星尾迹回波 （RSTE,range spread trail echo）观测通常采用高功率大孔径雷达.本文利用三亚 （18.4°N,109.6°E） VHF雷达观测,分析研究了小功率VHF雷达观测的RSTE特征.结果表明,三亚VHF雷达在相干散射模式观测的RSTE,其发生和演化的主要形态特征类似高功率大孔径雷达的观测结果.通过2011年8月期间,三亚VHF雷达相干散射模式观测的RSTE,与同时的全天空流星模式观测的镜面流星尾迹（SE,specular trail echo）数据,统计分析了RSTE和SE随地方时以及高度的变化,发现短持续时间RSTE（小于等于15 s）与SE具有类似的时间-高度变化特征,而长持续时间RSTE（大于等于15 s）发生的峰值时间,相比SE和短持续时间RSTE向晨侧偏移,且长持续时间RSTE对高度的依赖性比短持续时间RSTE显著.此外,全天空流星模式观测SE 的数量远多于相干散射模式观测的RSTE数量,可能与不同模式下的观测角度、波束宽度等因素相关.     

Distribution,inventory and turnover of benthic organic biomass in the Strait of Georgia,Canada, in relation to natural and anthropogenic inputs

Recently compiled databases facilitated estimation of basin-wide benthic organic biomass and turnover in the Strait of Georgia, an inland sea off western Canada. Basin-wide organic biomass was estimated at 43.1 × 10⁶ kg C and production was 54.6 × 10⁶ kg C yr⁻¹, resulting in organic biomass turnover (P/B) of 1.27 × yr⁻¹. Organic biomass and production for sub-regions were predictable from modified organic flux (r² > 0.9). P/B declined significantly with increasing modified organic flux, suggesting greater biomass storage in high flux sediments. Biomass and production were highest, and P/B lowest near the Fraser River. Annual basin-wide benthic production was 60% of previously estimated oxidized organic flux to substrates, which agrees with proportional measurements from a recent, localized study.Deviations from expected patterns related to organic enrichment and other stressors are discussed, as are potential impacts to benthic biomass and production, of declining bottom oxygen, increasing bottom temperature and potential changes in riverine input.     

The mesospheric metal layer topside: Examples of simultaneous metal observations

We show examples of common volume observations of three metals by lidar focusing on the altitude of the topside of the meteoric metal layer as described by Höffner and Friedman (H&F) [The mesospheric metal layer topside: a possible connection to meteoroids, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 4 (2004) 801–808]. In contrast to H&F, we will focus on time scales of a few hours and less whereas the previous study examined the seasonally averaged climatological state on time scales of several days or weeks, and we examine the entire topside, whereas H&F focused on data at 113 km. The examples, taken under different observation conditions in 1997 and 1998 at Kühlungsborn, Germany (54°N, 15°E), show that the metal layers can often be observed at altitudes as high as 130 km if the signal is integrated over a period of several hours. Under such conditions it is possible to derive reasonably good metal abundance ratios from nocturnally averaged data, which, in turn, allow the discussion of metal abundance ratios to broaden from a single altitude as discussed in H&F to an altitude range extending as high as 130 km. The examples herein show, for the first time, that it is possible to track the transition in the metal abundance ratios from the main layer to an altitude region that has not been studied in the past by lidar. On shorter time scales, small structures are detectable and observable, sometimes above 120 km, resulting in, on average, a broad but weak topside layer above 105 km. In particular, the example of 26–27 October 1997, obtained during enhanced meteor activity, is an indication that this broad layer may result from meteor ablation occurring in this altitude range during the observation. Ratios of metal densities for Ca, Fe, K, and Na are remarkably consistent above about 110 km and in close agreement with the results of H&F. They are less consistent with ratios measured in individual meteor trails and appear to have little relation to the ratios measured in CI meteorites. Finally, it is the temporal smoothing of descending sporadic metal atom layers on top of an undisturbed background metal layer that is the basis of the summer topside extension as described by H&F.     

Micrometeorological measurements in Nigeria during the total solar eclipse of 29 March, 2006

The total solar eclipse of 29 March, 2006 which was visible at Ibadan (7.55°N, 4.56°E), south-western Nigeria was utilized to document atmospheric surface-layer effects of the eclipse for the first time in Nigeria. The meteorological parameters measured are global radiation, net radiation, wind speed (at different heights), atmospheric pressure and soil temperature (5, 10 and 30 cm), moisture and heat flux and rainfall. The results revealed remarkable dynamic atmospheric effects. The observations showed that the incoming solar radiation, net radiation and air temperature were significantly affected.There was an upsurge of wind speed just before the first contact of the eclipse followed by a very sharp decrease in wind speed due to the cooling and stabilization of the atmospheric boundary layer. The atmospheric pressure lags the eclipse maximum by 1 h 30 min, while the soil temperature at 5 and 10 cm remain constant during the maximum phase of the eclipse.