Precipitation Attenuation

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Precipitation Attenuation

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The loss of radio energy due to the passage through a volume of the atmosphere containing precipitation. Part of the energy is lost by scattering and part by absorption. See cloud attenuation, range attenuation. </dd>
Radars operating at wavelengths of 10 centimeters and higher are generally unaffected, whereas even the smallest precipitation rates will seriously attenuate radar energy of wavelengths less than 1 centimeter. For rain and snow diameter-to-wavelength ratios less than 0.07, the loss is due primarily to absorption. Scattering becomes important for ratios near 0.1 and greater. Attenuation by dry snow is small for most radar wavelengths. [[/a>|/a> ]]

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use