Interpretation of the tidal residuals during the 11 July 1991 total solar eclipse

Observations of gravity and atmospheric pressure variations during the total solar eclipse of 11 July 1991 in Mexico City are presented. An LCR-G402 gravimeter equipped with a feedback system and a digital data acquisition system scanned gravity and pressure every second around the totality. On the pressure record an oscillation, starting at the totality, with a peak to peak amplitude of 0.5 hPa and a periodicity of 40 to 50 min, can clearly be seen. This oscillation results from the thermal shock wave produced by the Moon shadow travelling at supersonic speed. At the 0.1 μGal (1 nm · s−2) level all gravity perturbations are explained by the atmospheric pressure effect.