Topband: lunar tides

[Carl K9LA]

  John W0UN said:

"Here is a thought.  The phase of the moon has an effect on the ocean
tides.  There are also tides in the atmosphere as well as atmospheric waves. Structure and motion could affect local electron densities which might have some effect on propagation."

and Charles K5ZK said:

"Has anyone else considered that if propagation conditions on topband are 
indeed enhanced by a full moon or a harvest moon that the effect might have more to do with tidal effects on the ionosphere than any sort of 
electromagnetic reflectivity of the moon's surface?"


Bob G3REP had an interesting article in the November 2004 issue of the Low Band Monitor (edited and published by K0CS) on this very topic. My very short summary of his article follows (note that I'm only the messenger here).

Bob contacted geophysicists at the University of Liverpool and they confirmed that indeed that the effects of lunar tides can be seen in the ionosphere. But it appears that these effects are so small that it's tough to believe there are any effects on propagation.

Carl K9LA