Analysis of fade dynamics and cloud absorption using beacon data and atmospheric profiles

Fade duration, fade slope and cloud absorption are analyzed using results from measurements at CRC of the 20-GHz beacon of the Anik F2 satellite and from a 12-frequency profiling radiometer. The impact of low-pass filtering on fade duration and slope statistics derived from Anik F2 beacon data is discussed. The performance of four models predicting fade duration statistics, including one developed at CRC, is evaluated and discussed. Fade slope distributions show dependence on fade level and general symmetry between positive and negative slopes. Slope statistics are compared to predictions generated by the ITU-R model. The impact of absorption due to cloud liquid on the excess beacon attenuation is compared with predictions based on the ITU-R model, using the retrieved liquid water path and scaled cloud attenuation at 30 GHz extracted from the profiling radiometer brightness temperature data.