Electromagnetic surface waves: New formulas and applications

Relatively simple and accurate formulas are now available for the complete electromagnetic field generated by vertical and horizontal dipoles located on or near the boundary between two electrically different half-spaces such as air and water or rock and sea water. The principal part of the field is an outward-traveling lateral wave with useful properties. The formulas are given and their application to a variety of problems reviewed briefly. These include: radio communication over the surface of the earth or sea, the wave antenna, communication with submarines using vertical dipoles in air and horizontal dipoles in the sea, the location of buried objects using horizontal dipoles on the surface of the earth, and the measurement of the conductivity of the sea floor.