Atmospheric electric field variations and lower ionosphere disturbance during the total solar eclipse of 2010 July 11

In this paper, we study the variations of atmospheric electric field during the total solar eclipse (TSE) of July 11, 2010, at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO). These variations observed with two identical sensors separated by 0.4 km, show a significant increase (∼55 V/m) when compared with averaged values measured during previous and subsequent fair weather days. Furthermore, identical changes are detected on the measured phases of Very Low Frequency waves received at CASLEO. The latter suggests a possible connection between the lower ionosphere and the lower atmosphere during the period of the eclipse.