Observations of the ionosphere in the equatorial anomaly region using WISS during the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009

An exceptionally long total solar eclipse occurred over the Yangtze River Basin in the mid-latitudes of China on 22 July 2009. The moon’s umbral shadow crossed through the ionospheric equatorial anomaly region. During the solar eclipse, new ionospheric behaviors were observed using a multi-station sounding approach. These new phenomena include: (1) visible Doppler spreading of F layer echoes at multiple group distances during the solar eclipse period, (2) strong ionospheric response near the peak of the northern equatorial anomaly crest and (3) synchronous oscillations in the Es and F layer during the recovery phase of the solar eclipse.