Cloud Characteristics and Cloud Attenuation in Millimeter Wave and Microwave Frequency Bands for Satellite and Remote Sensing Applications over a Northern Indian Tropical Station

Microwave and millimeter wave frequency bands are in demand for requirement of more channels in radio communication systems. It has also been recognized that microwave and millimeterwave frequency radiometers on board satellites as promising tools for remote sensing. The frequency more than 10 GHz is affected by rain and cloud. Though the effects of rain on radiowave is more than cloud but the occurence of cloud is more than rain. Cloud has been found to occur for weeks together over this part of the world. It is therefore essential to study cloud morphology over different geographical region. In this paper, an attempt has been made to the cloud occurrences over an Indian tropical station, Delhi (28.35°N, 77.12°E) observed during different months and daytime and nighttime. It is seen that low clouds occurrence over Delhi is very significant and particularly during July, August and September. The specific attenuation of radiowave due to clouds at various frequencies 10 GHz, 20 GHz, 50 GHz and 100 GHz has been deduced. The specific attenuation of radio wave due to cloud at 10 GHz varies from 0.0608 dB/km to 0.1190 dB/km while at 100 GHz the specific attenuation varies from 6.8460 dB/km to 11.9810 dB/km     

Estimation of the rain attenuation outage time for a multirelay link at millimeter wavelengths

In the design of long haul radio relay links using frequencies above 10 GHz, it is necessary to estimate outage time occurrence probability due to rain attenuation for multirelay systems. A theoretical predictive method is proposed in this paper which is involved with the analysis of joint attenuation exceedance probabilities using a very simple exponentially shaped spatial rainrate profile. This same rain structure model has been originally developed for the prediction of rain attenuation of microwave satellite links. Numerical results have been obtained and compared with experimental data taken from a multirelay system located in Japan.     

Empirical Rain Attenuation Model for Earth-Satellite Paths

A set of three simple empirical formulas is given for the calculation of long-term rain attenuation distributions on earth-satellite microwave radio paths from long-term (≥20 yr) distributions of 5-min point rain rates. The calculated results agree well with six sets of rain attenuation data on earth-satellite paths measured in Illinois, Georgia and New Jersey. This simple method, which is an extension of that obtained previously by the author for terrestrial radio application, is useful in the engineering of satellite communication systems at frequencies above 10 GHz.     

Effect of Fog and Clouds on the Image Quality in Millimeter Communications

The effect of fog and clouds in millimeter communication is discussed, and the attenuation caused by fog and clouds is reviewed. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of image is derived using relating models of fog and clouds attenuation. According to the relation of image quality and its signal-to-noise ratio, the system behavior is forecasted theoretically. It is shown that the signal-to-noise ratio of receiver at certain transmitter power is inverse with radio wave frequency, from about 70dB at 10GHz to 48dB for fog and 49dB for clouds. The image quality of received signal at certain transmitter power is inverse with radio wave frequency, from about 7 grade at 10GHz to 5.27 grade for fog and 5.37 grade for clouds. The above calculated results are consistent with experimental results.     

Rain attenuation measurements for short-range millimetre-wave radio link

The high potential of millimetre-wave communication systems has generated the need to carry out many studies in view of rain and other climatic effects on radio propagation at these frequencies. A rain attenuation measurement study at 35 GHz frequency was undertaken in tropical regions of India, in order to observe and investigate the attenuation caused by rains in short-range communications. The rainfall statistics, and attenuation caused by rains, are presented and discussed, and an empirical model derived from these measurements is suggested.     

First attempts at modelling earth-to-space radio propagation using SIRIO measurements in the 11 and 18 GHz bands

A bi-dimensional statistical model for earth-to-space radio links, characterized by effective rain rates and rain path lengths is proposed. These parameters refer to an equivalent homogeneous slab of rain having depth and rain rate such as to produce similar values of measured attenuations. Input data for the present study were attenuation data at 11.6 GHz (absolute and differential over a 520 MHz band) and 17 GHz, collected by the Sirio satellite: these data were found to be jointly log-normally distributed as were the effective rain rate and path length. A straightforward application of the model is the extrapolation of attenuation statistics to higher frequencies: the effectiveness of the method, when applied to 11.6 GHz data is tested against the data at 17 GHz; both the statistics and the time profiles are excellently reproduced. This suggests the use of a differential radiometer working at a relatively low frequency in order to acquire reliable higher frequency statistics and effective model parameters.     

Temperature Effects on Attenuation Due to Rain for Millimeter and Centimeter Waves

Radio wave operating in millimetrewave and microwave frequency bands are adversely affected due to rain. Particularly the attenuation is of immense significance for sensitive remote measurements by satellites using frequencies greater than 10 GHz. Maintenance of an uninterrupted communication link requires a precise knowledge of the attenuation effect due to rain for commissioning right kind of transmitting sources for various purposes required in present day situation. Precise measurement of attenuation at various frequencies will enable us to choose the right frequency, polarization, incident angle and power of the source for different purposes. In this paper we have compared the results of earlier works using aR^b Olsen et al, (1) and the formulation by Moupfouma, (2) on the basis of theoretical analysis for explaining the observed results. Effect of temperature, considered in detail in this communication, has contributed the necessary correction factor of the rain attenuation for explaining the observed results. Theoretical analyses to measure the attenuation of the propagating wave due to temperature variation in the rain path have been presented. Correction factor due to temperature profile (temperature from the ground to the rain height within which the radio wave traces its path) has been incorporated in two models by using the concept of dipole energy changes. The effect of this temperature is noted to be quite significant and incorporates an error to the extent of 7–8%.     

电磁波传播的云雾衰减特性研究

研究了云雾对电磁波传输的衰减特性,在云雾衰减理论模型基础上,给出了云雾衰减工程计算模型,该模型所需参数少、计算简便,且误差符合工程计算要求,仿真分析了电波频率、温度、发射角度及成雾类型等参数对雾特征衰减率的影响。当无线电波的频率高于10GHz时,需要考虑云和雾对电波的衰减;当频率高于50GHz时,云、雾对电波的衰减才显得重要。云雾对电磁波传播的衰减随着电波频率、温度、发射角及水汽含量的增大而增大。     

Calculation of Electromagnetic Scattering from a Pruppacher-Pitter Raindrop Using M.A.S. and Slant Path Rain AttenuationPrediction

The combined effects of hydrometeor scattering and absorption result in significant power loss, for Earth-space microwave links operating at frequencies above 10GHz. With the increasing deployment of higher frequencies in commercial wireless networks, the accurate estimation of the specific rain attenuation is very significant for the reliable design of a radio communication system. In the present paper, the scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave from a Pruppacher-Pitter raindrop is treated using the Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS). The obtained data are compared with those taken from the open literature -in the form of real and imaginary part of the forward scattering amplitude - with excellent results. Then, they are used for the numerical calculation of both the specific rain attenuation and the exceedance probability function, in the case of a hypothetical satellite link located in various climatic regions. The comparison with other models against experimental data has given very encouragingresults.     

Attenuation in melting snow on microwave- and millimetre-wave terrestrial radio links

The scattering properties of melting snow on microwave and millimetre-wave terrestrial radio links are predicted using a new model for melting which includes coalescence. Attenuation, differential attenuation and differential phase are calculated for a horizontal path, with results at 36.25 GHz presented. Peak specific attenuation in the range 8?13 dB/km is expected for underspread rain with 10?15 mm/h rain rates.     

The Prediction of Rain-Induced Attenuation in MM Wave Band by Rain Medium System Model

While the millimeter radio wave propagates through rainfall, it will be attenuated heavily due to assimilation and scattering of rain. It is imperative to establish a simple and effective model to predict the rain-induced attenuation. In this paper, the rainfall is taken as a random system that can attenuate the radio wave. The transfer function matrix model is selected to be the random system model. Using experiment rain attenuation data at different rain rate, the correlation entropy and residue error of the system is obtained by system identification method. On the basis of correlation entropy and residue error, we can determine the order of the predication system. At last, the predication model that can forecast heavy rain attenuation by small rain attenuation is gotten by applying the least square method. The comparison shows that the discrepancy between the predication result of the obtained model and the experiment rain attenuation data is relatively minor.     

Rainfall propagation impairments for medium elevation angle satellite‐to‐earth 12 GHz in the tropics

Rain attenuation is the dominant propagation impairment for satellite communication systems operating at frequencies above about 10 GHz. The rainfall path attenuation at 12.255 GHz measured at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for 4 years (2 January to 5 December) is presented. This paper presents an empirical analysis of rain rate and rain attenuation cumulative distribution functions obtained using 1‐min integrated rainfall data and comparison of the measured data with data obtained from well‐established rain model attenuation predictions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rain Height in Relation to 0°C Isotherm Height Over Some Indian Tropical Locations and Rain Attenuation for an Indian South Coastal Station for Microwave and Millimeter Wave Communication Systems

There is a dearth of results on rain height over Indian tropical stations.The results on rain height in relation to 0°C isotherm height over four stations having different latitudes are presented in this paper. Four stations have been chosen in such a way that all have different latitudes and are located in different geographical regions having different local weather conditions. The seaonal variation of rain height in relation to 0°C isotherm height has been found to be appreciable over the station located in Indian east coast and Gujarat region, while seasonal variation is not significant at lower and intermediate probability levels over the stations located in Indian south-east coast and island. The prevailing local weather conditions over different stations also have been discussed. Based on observed rain heights and rain rates, the attenuation of radio wave at different frequencies lying in the range from 10 GHz to 150 GHz for different probability levels over Indian south-east coastal station have been deduced and presented in this paper.     

Cloud Morphology Over Three Indian Tropical Stations for Earth Space Communication

Microwave and millimeter wave frequency bands are in demand for requirement of larger bandwidth for various applications of radio systems. In future in India too, microwave and millimeter wave frequencies will be in use very extensively for radio communication purposes and remote sensing applications. But, the attenuation due to cloud as well as thermal noise associated with could in millimeter wave and microwave frequency bands are of great concern to system engineers and radio researchers. Both cloud attenuation and cloud noise temperature lead to degradation in the performance of microwave communication and radar propagation. The effects of rain on radio wave are more than cloud but the occurrence of cloud is more than rain. In some parts of India cloud occurs for weeks together. The cloud morphology particularly in relation to radio wave propagation over different geographical region of India is therefore very essential and important. In view of this, systematic studies on cloud occurrence morphology over different geographical locations in India have been undertaken. In recent past some results on cloud occurrences over different stations in India have been reported. In this paper, cloud characteristics and cloud attenuation over three more stations are presented. Based on low level cloud coverage observations, cloud occurrences frequency over Mumbai (19.07°N, 72.50°E), Nagpur (21.06°N, 79.03°E) and Ahmadabad (23.04°N, 72.38°E) situated in Indian tropical west coast, central plain and semi arid region of western India in different months during daytime and nighttime has been deduced. The low-level cloud over Mumbai, Nagpur and Ahamedabad has been found to occur for many days and nights and particularly in the months of June, July, August and September. The attenuation of radio wave due to clouds at various frequencies ～10, 18, 32, 44 and 70 GHz over the aforesaid three stations also been deduced.     

The relationship of raindrop-size distribution to attenuations experience at 50, 80, 140, and 240 GHz

Millimeter-wave rain attenuation measurements have been made at 50.4, 81.8, 140.7, and 245.5 GHz on a terrestrial path of 0.81 km. On the basis of these experimental results, a comparison between the model of specific attenuation currently adopted by the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) and that based on the raindrop-size distribution derived from our previous propagation experiments at 11.5, 34.5, and 81.8 GHz is made. For the Japanese climate, it is found that the CCIR model underestimates the rain attenuation at frequencies above 80 GHz and that our specific attenuation model is effective for the prediction of rain attenuation in the whole millimeter-wave region.     

Propagation Tests for 23 GHz and 40 GHz

Propagation tests were conducted on the 23 GHz and 40 GHz bands on the same 1.08 km path in Nagoya City, Japan, for two years (1979 and 1980), in order to collect circuit design data for a highly reliable millimeter wave intracity communication link. The path attenuation versus 1 min rain rate relation for the same cumulative percentage of time was obtained and compared to the theoretical curves of various raindrop distributions such as Laws and Parsons. We found some discrepancies on both the high rain rates, exceeding 50 mm/h, and low rain rates. The former was thought to be due to a mismatch between the rain gauge integration time and the path attenuation time constant. From the coincidence of the autocorrelation functions of both the rain rate and path attenuation, we were able to determine the best fit integration time. The latter was due to the loss of the radome in the rain. The circuit outage of the short path millimeter wave radio link was strongly affected by the heavy rains which exceeded 60 or 100 mm/h in thunderstorms, fronts, and typhoons, and was characterized by bursts of rain. Based on the 1 min rain rate records for five years, 1975-1979, we found the heavy rain statistics obeyed Poisson's distribution. Finally, we introduced a propagation test of 40 GHz through fire flames and found the losses to be low.     

A new theoretical formulation for calculation of the specific attenuation due to precipitation particles on terrestrial and satellite radio links

The propagation of high frequency electromagnetic waves through rain is affected by absorption and scattering, which both lead to signal attenuation on satellite or terrestrial super high frequency (SHF) and extremely high frequency (EHF) links. Many factors govern rain effects on waves propagating in the atmosphere, namely raindrop size distribution, rain cumulative distribution, water temperature, refractive index and operating frequency. A high degree of accuracy in the calculation of specific attenuation caused by rain (attenuation per km) is of importance when planning high frequency radio communication systems. Until now, the kR^α expression has been widely used for such calculations. This relationship in which R (mm/h) represents the rain rate, α and k parameters determined for each frequency by interpolation, can be considered to be a compromise between the complexity and a simplified approach of the Van de Hulst relationship. In this paper, we present a new theoretical model based on physical laws and allowing the calculation of specific attenuation caused by all kinds of hydrometeor particles on high frequency electromagnetic waves. This method, which we derived from the forward scattering amplitude and the Van de Hulst relationship, is governed by wave polarization, the wave incidence angle, the radio link operating frequency, and precipitation particle size distribution in the climate of interest. Its application gives theoretical results which are in very good agreement with data gathered on terrestrial or earth–satellite links in several localities around the world. This new proposed model can be easily used and will constitute a very useful tool for evaluating satellite and terrestrial radio link performances, mainly in the future which will bring an expansion of high frequency satellite systems. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Millimeter wave propagation in arid land-a field study in Riyadh

A field study on wave propagation has been actively running for four years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study involves the operation and monitoring of two links at a frequency of 40 GHz, and an infrared link at 0.88-μm wavelength. A meteorological station is also operated and monitored. The effect of sand storms on propagation is studied by measuring storm parameters, namely, visibility, particle size and size distribution, and induced attenuation. The results are compared with long-term visibility data for Riyadh, and a complete statistical analysis is given. The effect of rain is studied by measuring both rain rate and rain attenuation. Long-term rain data are utilized to derive long-term rain statistics. It is shown that the measured attenuation due to sand storms is about four times larger than the calculated attenuation at 40 GHz. The measured rain attenuation at infrared is found to be smaller by a factor of 0.3 than theoretically predicted attenuation     

Weibull Raindrop-Size Distribution and its Application to Rain Attenuation from 30 GHz to 1000 GHz

A weibull raindrop-size distribution is fitted to the measurements of rainfall observed using a distrometer in Tokyo. A propagation experiment at 103 GHz is also introduced. The rain attenuation is calculated by considering the Mie scattering for the Marshall-Palmer, Best, Joss-Thomas-Waldvogel, Gamma and Weibull raindrop-size distributions. The results of frequency characteristics from the Weibull raindrop-size distribution agrees well with some experimental data for the millimeter and submillimeter waves above 30 GHz. The quick read table is calculated for the rain attenuation from 30 GHz to 1000 GHz.     

Attenuation of Centimetre, Millimetre and Sub-Millimetre Waves Due to Rain Over Tropical Indian Stations

The results on attenuation of the radio wave due to rain at frequencies lying in the centimetre, millimetre and submillimetre wave bands for different rain rates over three Indian tropical stations are presented in this paper. The study is possible due to the availability of the rainfall rates measured by rapid response rain gauges and rain height over these stations. The results on attenuation were deduced by taking both 0° C isotherm height and effective height. The Stutzman and Dishman model with γ -value of 0.033 which is found suitable for the estimation of rain attenuation over the Indian stations has been critically examined in comparison with the attenuations deduced from CCIR (presently known as ITU-R) method.