Frequency Domain Criterion of Appearance of an Electromagnetic Surface Wave Above the Laminar Ice—Salt Water Structure

Abstract

We propose a frequency domain criterion for appearance of an electromagnetic surface wave above the laminar ice—salt water structure and substantiate it theoretically and experimentally. It is found that an ice layer on the ocean surface increases the surface impedance modulus and shifts its phase to the domain corresponding to strongly inductive impedances (with a phase of up to −88°). We show that due to the presence of a thin low-conductivity ice layer on the ocean surface, an additive component appears in the ocean water impedance, which depends on the thickness of the ice layer linearly and shifts the impedance phase to the region corresponding to strong inductance. In this case, electric properties of the ice layer have almost no influence on the change in the impedance. The ice layer has a great influence on the electromagnetic field, which can be greater over the ice-covered ocean compared with the field over an infinitely conducting plane. The field increase effect is due to the electromagnetic surface wave.