Characteristics of microwave propagation in vapourised troposphere

Microwave communication equipment design in temperate region may not be very suitable in the tropics because the characteristics of the troposphere as the medium of propagation differ appreciably. This paper present an investigation on effect of vertical gradient of water vapour on refractivity gradient and microwave propagation in a typical troposphere of the tropics. The meteorological vertical data taken from radiosonde confirms evidence of super-refraction and ducting of the microwave signal. KEY WORDS: Ducting, humidity, inversion, refraction, variation. Global Journal of Mathematical Sciences Vol.3(2) 2004: 123-136