Simulation of X-Band Signals in a Sand and Dust Storm With Parabolic Wave Equation Method and Two-Ray Model

In this letter, a parabolic wave equation (PWE) method is modified to include the effects of Rayleigh scattering and absorption by dust particles to study microwave signals propagating in a sand and dust storm (SDS). A three-dimensional (3-D) SDS model is proposed, in which the total number density is height-dependent and is circularly symmetric in the horizontal plane. The effects of Earth curvature and ground reflection on microwave wave traversing an SDS are studied by using the PWE method and a two-ray model. A time record of microwave attenuation is also simulated and compared to the measurement data to verify the efficacy of the proposed method.