Modeling the Effects of Gaseous Absorption and Attenuation due to Clouds for a 72 GHz Terrestrial Link

Validation and refinement of atmospheric propagation models in the W/V bands has become an increasingly important subject of communications research. Interest in RF links that employ the millimeter wavelength region of the spectrum continues to grow. The effects of molecular gas resonances and hydrosols become very pronounced due to the short wavelength in these bands. In this work, attenuation modeling results at 72 GHz are compared with experimental data from the ongoing W/V-band Terrestrial Link Experiment (WTLE) in Albuquerque, NM. Supplementary weather sensors are used in conjunction with the WTLE data to examine the validity of MPM (Millimeter Wave Propagation Model), ITU Attenuation, and the Salonen model for cloud effects.