Investigating Ionospheric Perturbations Following the 2020 Beirut Explosion Event. Issue 10 (4th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jonah, Olusegun F.; Vergados, Panagiotis; Krishnamoorthy, Siddharth; Komjathy, Attila
• Is Part Of: Radio science. Volume 56:Issue 10(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-10-04
• Subjects: acoustic gravity wave signature -- ambient neutral atmosphere activities -- coupling of the neutral atmosphere with the ionosphere -- ionospheric perturbations -- total electron content (TEC); Radio meteorology -- Periodicals; Radio wave propagation -- Periodicals; 621.38405
• DOI: 10.1029/2021RS007302
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-6604

Abstract

Abstract: We assess the detection of the August 4, 2020 chemical explosion in Beirut, Lebanon (33°N, 35°E). We use ionospheric total electron content (TEC) observations from a regional network of ground‐based Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to study the ionospheric variability and wave perturbations generated by the Beirut explosion. Our analysis reveals that the induced wave structures arrived in the ionosphere 10 ± 2 min after the explosion, which is a strong indication of acoustic gravity wave activity. These wave structures are characterized with ΔTEC of 0.06 TECU moving at ∼750 m/s in south‐east direction away from the explosion epicenter. The continuous wavelet analysis we applied shows a dominant wave periodicity of 1.5–2.5 min (6.78–11 mHz ) in the ionosphere. Furthermore, we use measurements from ERA‐interim analysis to establish the ambient neutral atmospheric conditions before the Beirut explosion event. Finally, the observed ionospheric wave perturbations appear to be in good agreement with the expected arrival of acoustic gravity waves generated following the explosion. Key Points: Detection and characterization of ionospheric perturbations generated by the 2020 Beirut explosion Signatures of acoustic gravity wave activity generated by the event are observed Lower and upper atmospheric coupling due to anthropogenic explosion is investigated