A search for atmospheric pressure waves from the total solar eclipse of 9 March 1997

Solar eclipses are well defined forcing functions for atmospheric disturbances, including pressure disturbances, and are therefore important in studies of pressure waves in the Earth’s atmosphere. For the total solar eclipse of 9 March 1997 three microbarometers were deployed at ground level over the South East of the UK. They delivered excellent pressure records from several hours before the Moon’s penumbral shadow first made Earthfall, to about 60 h after the penumbral shadow left the Earth. The pressure records are richly structured, and consequently stringent criteria are defined for the detection of eclipse effects. Though no pressure waves of eclipse origin have been identified, useful upper limits to wave amplitudes are established.