Cloud Morphology Over Three Indian Tropical Stations for Earth Space Communication

Abstract

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.