Substandard propagation

From Glossary of Meteorology



substandard propagation[edit | edit source]

The propagation of radio energy under conditions of substandard refraction in the atmosphere; that is, refraction by an atmosphere or section of the atmosphere in which the refractive index decreases with height at a rate of less than 40 N-units per kilometer.

Substandard propagation produces less than the normal downward bending, or even upward bending, of radio waves as they travel through the atmosphere, giving closer radio horizons and decreased radar and radio coverage. It occurs primarily when propagation takes place through a layer in which the specific humidity is constant or increases with height.
See standard propagation, superstandard propagation.


Copyright 2024 American Meteorological Society (AMS). For permission to reuse any portion of this work, please contact permissions@ametsoc.org. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 107) or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S.Copyright Act (17 USC § 108) does not require AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, require written permission or a license from AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement.