On Wednesday, 2006 March 29, a total eclipse of the Sun was visible from within a narrow corridor traversing half the Earth. The path of the Moon's
umbral shadow started in Brazil and extended across the Atlantic, northern Africa, and central Asia where it ended at sunset in western Mongolia. A
partial eclipse was visible within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which included the northern two thirds of Africa, Europe,
and central Asia.
Source of the image:
NASA
The duration of the eclipse was about 3 minutes, 45 seconds at Manavgat on Turkey´s Mediterranean coast, and 3 minutes, 30 seconds at Ordu on the
Black Sea coast.
There is no evidence that eclipses have any physical effect on humans. However, eclipses have always been capable of producing some effects.
Every civilization in Human´s history has interpreted solar eclipses in different ways, most of them considered solar eclipses events of ill and were
feared, because for most of human history, people did not understand what an eclipse was.
Scientifics are able to explain the phenomenon but superstitions still continue.
Besides superstitions many believe that solar eclipses can produce some effects on Earth, animals and/or humans. But, what is real about it?
We are aware of the Moon´s effect on Earth, animals and humans, but what about the Sun? And what happens when a solar eclipse takes place?
The Severe Geomagnetic Storm Research Project´s Team has selected the relevant information in relation with events taken place from March 26 to March
31 in order to verify if the solar eclipse caused an increase in the activity of volcanoes, quakes, etc.
The previous days:
Solar activity.
Solar activity was dominated by Catania sunspot group 15 (NOAA AR 0862), which developed a beta-gamma configuration of the photospheric magnetic
field. It produced several C-flares, the strongest one being the C2.5 flare on March 21. The group started to decay on March 22.
The solar situation thus became quiet (with occasional weak B-flares) and remained so until the end of the week.
Another sunspot group (NOAA AR 0863, Catania number 17) remained small and did not produce any significant activity. CME activity also was very low
during the week.
Geomagnetic activity .
Geomagnetic activity. In the beginning of the week the Earth was situated in the fast solar wind flow produced by the equatorial coronal hole. NOAA
SEC, IZMIRAN and Dourbes reported K index equal to 5 on March 20.
Occasional intervals of K = 4 were observed on March 20 - 22.
Then the solar wind speed has decreased and, starting from March 24, the Earth was inside the slow solar wind flow. The geomagnetic situation was
quiet since the morning of March 22.
Health.
A new H5N1 bird flu mutation with a 91% fatality rate in humans appeared this month: between March 1 and March 24 of 2006, the WHO reported 12 new
H5N1 cases with 11 deaths.
2006 March 26
Solar and geomagnetic activity were quiet and were expected to remain so. The Earth was inside the slow solar wind flow with average magnetic
field.
Earthquakes.
Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Is. Alaska: 2.7, 4.6,
4.8 South Sandwich Islands Region
Southern Alaska 2.9, 3.1
4.9 Papua, Indonesia
5.3 Tarapaca, Chile
3.9 Northern Alaska
5.3 Kyushu, Japan
5.3 Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge
5.0. Samoa Islands Region
Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska 3.9, 4.9,
4.6 Ganshu, China
2.7 Central Alaska
4.5 Banda Sea
Izu Islands, Japan Region 4.6, 4.5
Luzon, Philippines 4.7, 4.8
2.9 Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
4.9 Kermadec Islands Region
4.6 Southern Iran
Offshore Northern California 2.6, 2.9, 4.6
4.7 Near the Coast of Central Peru
4.7 South of Panama
4.2 Virgin Islands
3.8 Off the Coast of Southeastern Alaska
2006 March 27
Earthquakes
2.6 Baja California, Mexico
5.6 Mindoro, Philippines
5.2 Fiji Region
Southern Alaska 2.6, 2.9
2.6 Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Puerto Rico Region 3.4, 2.9
2.9 Southern Alaska
4.0 Near the Coast of Central Peru
4.6 Nias Region, Indonesia
2.6 Alaska Peninsula
Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Is. Alaska 2.7, 4.3
4.8 South Sandwich Islands Region
3.5 Virgin Islands
4.9 Papua, Indonesia
2.9 Puerto Rico Region
5.3 Tarapaca, Chile
3.9 Northern Alaska
5.5 Kyushu, Japan
3.7 Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
5.5 Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge
5.0 Samoa Islands Region
2006 March 28
Earthquakes
4.8 Guatemala
Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Is. Alaska 2.7, 3.1
4.5 Laptev Sea
2.6 Baja California, Mexico
Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska 3.4, 4.1
5.0 Unimak Island Region, Alaska
4.3 Southern Alaska
Puerto Rico Region 3.4, 3.4
5.9 Izu Islands, Japan Region
3.8 Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
2.7 Virgin Islands
5.0 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
2.6 Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
5.4 South Sandwich Islands Region
3.3 Northern Alaska
3.7 North Atlantic Ocean
Weather
Category 5 Cyclone Glenda strikes Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Glenda, born on the 27th tapped into the full energy over the Indian Ocean off the northwestern Australia where Government
forecasters rated it as a category-5 storm.
2006 March 29
Geomagnetic Conditions.
The solar wind speed dropped to around 360 km/s, while the IMF intensity was modest with a weak Bz component fluctuating close to zero.
Solar activity remained at low level though the active region rotating over the E limb could increase the background soft X-ray and 10.7 cm radio
fluxes.
An All-Quiet Alert was extended for a further 48 hrs.
Earthquakes
3.3 Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
3.8 Central Alaska
Northern Alaska 3.7, 3.7, 3.5
Southern Alaska 2.9, 2.7
Southern California 2.5,4.1
2.9 Central California
Andreanof Islands, Aleutian IS., Alaska 2.9 , 5.2, 2.6
4.7 Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan
Tonga Region 5.1, 5.3
2.5 Utah
4.6 Northern Yukon Territory, Canada
5.3 Izu Islands, Japan Region
2006 March 30
Geomagnetic Conditions.
The solar wind speed was steady at about 340 km/s while the IMF was weak with a small Bz component fluctuating near zero.
Catania 19 was expected to produce B-class events, with small potential for an isolated C-class flare.
There was an All-Quiet Alert in effect.
Earthquakes
4.7 Western Iran
Mona Passage 3.2, 2.8, 3.0
4.7 Tonga
Virgin Islands 3.4, 3.4
3.2 Northern Alaska
3.4 North Atlantic Ocean
2.5 Central California
3.4 Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
3.4 Virgin Islands
3.5 Gulf of Alaska
2.0 Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
2006 March 31
Geomagnetic and solar conditions.
The All-Quiet Alert ended on March 31.
Solar activity could be due to beta-gamma region 0865 (Catania 19) capable of producing C-flares.
Geomagnetic conditions were quiet.
The IMF however was directed southward during the last hours and geomagnetic conditions were expected to remain mostly quiet.
Earthquakes.
6.4 Kermadec Islands Region
4.8 Jilin, China
Western Iran 4.9, 4.7, 5.7
2.5 Baja California, Mexico
3.0 Northern California
5.0 South of the Fiji Islands
Southern Alaska 2.5, 3.0
3.6 Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Is., Alaska
3.4 Virgin Islands
4.3 Off the Coast of Costa Rica
The Iran quakes caused 70 deaths and 1.200 injured, though the number of victims has surely increased. Thousands lost their home.
Weather
Tornado Southeast Kansas (Montgomery County)
Several injured
VOLCANOES
Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania – Africa
Erupted around 30 March forcing evacuation.
Ubinas, Peru
Increased fumarolic activity occurred during the end of March.
Augustine, Cook Inlet, Alaska – USA
Low-level eruptive activity continued during 24-31 March.
Bagana, Bouganville Island, Papua New Guinea
During 16 Feb. To 31 March, activity was at moderate levels.
Galeras, Colombia
Increase in the energy of earthquakes at Galeras, which began on 28 March until 29
Kilaueau, Hawai´i USA
During 29 March to 3 April, lava from the volcano flowed off of a lava delta into the ocean.
Langila, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
16 Feb. – 31 March, low-level activity continued at Crater 2.
Santa Ana, El Salvador
24-31 March, activity decreased to low levels
Soufriere Hills, Montserrat, West Indies
24-31 March, lava-dome growth focused towards the E, with lava lobe growing.
Mount St. Helens, USA
Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater continued during 29 March-3 April.
Tungurahua, Ecuador
29 March – 2 April small to moderate explosions.
Anathan, Mariana Islands
March: volcanic activity has increased somewhat. Alert-level Advisory, aviation: Color Code Yellow.
Fuego, Guatemala
22-28 March, explosions with gas plumes and short pyroclastic avalanches.
Pacaya, Guatemala.
22-28 March. Incandescent material ejected and avalanches.
Santa María, Guatemala
22-28 March. Weak-to-moderate explosions and ash plumes.
Starting April 2006.
It was a solar active week. At the beginning of the week, 3 active regions were visible on the disk just east of the central meridian. By the end of
the week, they rotated behind the west limb. There was a C4 on April 3 and two M flares on April 6. On April 5, there were several C flares. On April
7, a C9.7 was the largest one.
Though the week started under quiet geomagnetic conditions, a first interval of active to minor storm levels occurred on April 5-6. Near the end of
the week, a large transequatorial southern coronal hole caused a geomagnetic storm (Kp reached 4,5,6). The solar wind speed rose up to 700 km/s and
the IMF had a long duration of negative Bz.
Thank you for reading the previous information.
We hope that this data has been useful for you to take your own conclussions.
Should you have any comments about it, please do not hesitate to share your ideas with us by U2U a member of the Team.
Thank you for your collaboration.
Ptolomeo.
Sources used:
· Solar Influences Data analysis Center - -
RWC Belgium, Royal Observatory of Belgium
·
USGS
·
Volcano World
·
CNN 
