11.10.8 Why Do Rain, Fog, And The Atmosphere Affect Microwave Communication?
Atmospheric conditions become increasingly important at microwave frequencies. This FAQ explains rain attenuation, cloud and fog losses, atmospheric absorption by oxygen and water vapor, and why these effects become major design considerations for terrestrial microwave and satellite systems.
- Why Doesn't the Atmosphere Affect All Radio Waves Equally?
- What Is Atmospheric Attenuation?
- Which Atmospheric Gases Cause the Greatest Losses?
- Why Does Rain Cause Signal Loss?
- Why Are Higher Frequencies More Affected?
- Do Clouds and Fog Matter?
- Does Snow Cause Attenuation?
- What Is Atmospheric Scintillation?
- How Do Engineers Overcome Atmospheric Attenuation?
- Why Doesn't Everyone Use Lower Frequencies?
- Where Are These Effects Important?
- Why Is Understanding Atmospheric Attenuation Important?
- What Should You Remember?