| Abstract: | Knowledge about the dynamic characteristics of rainfall rate and rainfading is of vital importance both for studies on the physical interpretation and modelling of the phenomena and for ancillary studies to counteract rain-induced effects by incorporating some changes in communication system parameters. This paper presents the dynamical characteristics of rainfall observed over Guwahati, India. Using a statistical procedure, an empirical model which predicts characteristic features of rainfading at the Ku and Ka bands is described. The fade inter-event gap statistics as a function of attenuation are discussed for widespread rain and thunderstorms separately. The observed and predicted results are compared with observations made by other investigators. As future communication systems using the Ku and Ka bands are being planned in India and other parts of Southeast Asia (e.g. Measat-I, Thaicom3, AsiaSat3), the results of this study may be used to predict rainfading properties. This study is the first of its kind over India. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
