ABSTRACT
During the time period 1970-early 1973, 13 instances of major abrupt depletions of localized regions of the inner solar corona (1.1-2 R0) were detected at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Because of their almost invariable association with the ascending Ha prominence material (most generally flare sprays and, in one instance the disparition brusque of a large filament near the solar limb) and close correlation in time and position with outward moving Type IV radio sources, we surmise that the coronal material was expelled from the sun. In several of these cases plasma clouds were tracked to 10 R0 by Naval Research Laboratory with a coronagraph aboard 0S0-7. Limited evidence suggests that some aspects of a coronal disturbance, including trajectory of flare spray and depletion of the inner corona, are homologous within 24 hours, so the overall coronal magnetic field configuration is not necessarily permanently altered. Key words: sun - corona - prominences