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What is Radio Wave Propagation?
To understand the meaning of ground wave propagation, it is important to know the meaning of radio wave propagation. Radio wave propagation is the behaviour of radio waves as they propagate from one point to another or into various parts of the atmosphere.
These waves propagation can be classified depending upon the frequencies as
- Ground waves propagation
- Skywave propagation
- Free space propagation
What is Ground Wave Propagation?
Ground wave propagation is a type of radio propagation which is also known as a surface wave. These waves propagate over the earth’s surface in low and medium frequencies. These are mainly used for transmission between the surface of the earth and the ionosphere. These are made up of several constituent waves.
It is known as a ground wave because it is the sum of the waves that are reflected by the earth’s surface or any hills. The waves follow the earth’s curvature, enabling them to cover beyond the horizon. Beyond the horizon, the waves get blocked by the earth’s curvature, and the signals are produced by the diffracted surface wave.
Following is the table explaining the frequency of ground waves depending on the type of ground:
| Type of ground | f = 1 MHz | f = 10 MHz | f = 100 MHz |
| Dry ground like desert | 10-4 | 10-4 | 10-4 |
| Very moist ground like fields | 10-2 | 10-2 | 2.10-2 |
| Fresh water at 20℃ | 3.10-3 | 3.10-3 | 5.10-3 |
| Sea water at 20℃ | 5 | 5 | 5 |
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Advantages of Ground Wave Propagation
- These waves have the tendency to bend around the corners or obstructions during propagation which makes them more efficient and also, these are not affected by the change in atmospheric conditions.
Disadvantages of Ground Wave Propagation
- High-frequency waves cannot be transmitted as the energy losses are more because of the energy absorption in the earth’s atmosphere.
- These are used to cover short ranges and also involves attenuation of waves as they interact with the eddy currents produced by the surface of the earth.
Applications Ground Wave Propagation
- These can be used for one-way communication from the military to submerged submarines as they penetrate to a significant depth into seawater.
- AM, FM and television broadcasting can be done with the help of ground waves.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What is radio wave propagation?
What is ground wave propagation ?
What is the main advantage of ground wave propagation?
What are electromagnetic waves?
What are longitudinal waves?
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