RADIO REFRACTION BY THE MARINE LAYER AND ITS EFFECT ON MICROWAVE PROPAGATION,

Abstract

This paper discusses the microwave propagation phenomena that exist at the air-sea interface due to the large gradients of temperature and humidity near the sea surface. The parameters used to describe radio refractive index are first discussed and ththeir dependence on temperature and humidity is described. Some refractive index models within the atmospheric boundary layer are discussed and the effects of surface roughness and atmospheric thermal stability on the models is described. The radio propagation problem is then solved for one kind of model and a trapping criterion is developed. The theoretical predictions areera snons are then compared with experimental data obtained over Cardigan Bay in England and over the Baltic Sea by West German workers. It is concluded that meteorological and oceanographic conditions near the air-sea interface can have an important influence on the signal strength and fading characteristics observed on any neargrazing path if one or both terminals are near the surface of the sea. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 21, 1964
Accession Number
AD0451653

Entities

People

  • Earl E. Gossard

Organizations

  • Navy Electronics Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Baltic Sea
  • Boundary Layer
  • Electromagnetic Wave Propagation
  • Experimental Data
  • Humidity
  • Layers
  • Microwaves
  • Refraction
  • Refractive Index
  • Roughness
  • Surface Roughness
  • Thermal Stability

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Oceanography.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.