Path length in rain media and effective path length derived from weather radar measurements

For a variety of propagation and remote sensing questions, the knowledge on the length, microwaves propagate through rain media, is relevant. Weather radar measurements allow studying the effect for a given location in various directions and elevation angles, representing both terrestrial and satellite paths. This study uses raw data from an operational weather radar to retrieve statistics on how frequent slant paths through the atmosphere propagate through a certain length of rain. The same dataset is also used to derive attenuation statistics and values for the effective path length, as it is deüned in relevant recommendations of the ITU-R, and the study shows a proper correlation.