Sumberged antenna characteristics

This paper gives the results of a theoretical and experimental study of the characteristics of antennas in lossy environments, such as antennas buried in the earth or sea. The results of experiments to determine the input impedance of and current distribution on wires of different sizes, insulating thicknesses, depths and environments are summarized and compared to a simple theory. A figure of merit called relative communication efficiency (RCE) for submerged antennas is defined. A table of formulas for RCE of common antenna types is presented and the theoretical results are compared to experimental values obtained by field strength measurements.