Projects at the Radio Communications Research Unit (RCRU) RUTHERFORD APPLETON LABORATORY

 

REFRACTIVITY CLIMATOLOGY
Refractivity climatology is the study of how variations in the lower parts of the Earth's atmosphere affect the way radiowaves behave. These variations are often caused by changes in the weather in the lowest part of the atmosphere, known as the troposphere. As far as radiowaves are concerned, the most significant changes are in temperature and humidity. Both of these vary significantly as you move up through the atmosphere. One effect of these fluctuations can appear during the summer months, when TV pictures sometimes experience an unusual amount of interference. This is because in certain atmospheric conditions known as 'ducting', signals from other transmitters are carried much further than usual. These unwanted signals can interfere with TV signals they would not normally affect. The work at the Radio Communications Research Unit concerns all aspects of refractivity climatology, from collecting, analysing, and interpreting various meteorological data sets, to carrying results forward as improvements to the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) regulations used in the design of new services around the world.		More details The research team