In a previous paper(Harrison, 1997a), we reported on the existence of extre
me ultraviolet (EUV) flashes, known as blinkers, which were identified in t
he quiet Sun network using the CDS instrument on beard the Solar and Helios
pheric Observatory. Since then a number of dedicated observations have been
made and we report here on an analysis of 97 blinker events. We identify b
linker spectral, temporal and spatial characteristics, their distribution,
frequency and general properties, across a broad range of temperatures, fro
m 20,000 K to 1,200,000 K. The most significant brightenings were found in
the transition region temperature lines of O III, O IV and O V, with modest
or no detectable increases at higher or lower temperatures. A typical blin
ker event has a duration of order 1000 s, though the detection of short-dur
ation blinkers may well be limited by the observation methods. However, a l
ong tail of longer-duration blinkers puts the average blinker duration at a
lmost 2400 s. Comparisons to plasma cooling times establish firmly that the
re is a continuous energy input throughout the blinker event. The projected
blinker onset rate for the entire solar surface is 1.24 s(-1) i.e. 3,000 b
linker events may be in progress at any point in time. An examination of th
e line ratios shows a remarkable feature. Ratios of lines from O III, O IV
and O V show no significant change throughout the blinker event and this in
dicates that the blinkers are predominantly caused by inceases in density o
r filling factor. The intensity signatures of the blinkers are modelled usi
ng a basic time dependent code and this confirms that the lack of a change
in the oxygen line ratios is consistent with a density or filling factor in
crease in a plasma cooling from a temperature above 5 x 10(5) K. We estimat
e the thermal energy content of an average blinker at 2 x 10(25) erg and co
nsider this figure and the total blinker rate in the light of the energy re
quired for coronal heating. The results are used to compare blinker activit
y to reported micro-flare, network flare and explosive event activity, and
to discuss their potential role in coronal heating and solar wind accelerat
ion processes. Finally, a blinker model is presented which consists of the
merging of a closed magnetic system with pre-existing open field lines in t
he network.