The effect of superrefractive layers on 50-5,000 MC nonoptical fields

A body of radio data taken over an 80 nautical mile overwater link on four frequencies is analyzed, and the relationships to the vertical structure of the atmosphere determined statistically. The results are compared with the attenuation coefficients yielded by the theory for the first mode of a bilinear model as given by Furry. It is found that observation agrees reasonably well with theory at about 100 mc, but departs considerably for lower or higher frequencies. It is found that for a given height of the top of the superrefractive layer, an optimum frequency generally exists for which attenuation is a minimum.