Propagation of Radio Waves in the Lower Troposphere

Abstract

The effect of tropospheric layers on the propagation of high-frequency radio waves has been experimentally investigated. A theory is proposed which is in agreement with the salient propagation characteristics observed on a nonoptical link. Fields beyond the optical horizon are governed by the layer height and the refractive index change through the layer. For low layers the higher frequencies have the advantage because of height gain, whereas for higher layers the lower frequencies have the advantage of higher reflection coefficients.