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Specific Rain Attenuation Derived from a Gaussian Mixture Model for Rainfall Drop Size Distribution

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Wireless and Satellite Systems (WiSATS 2016)

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Abstract

Precipitation, particularly rain affects the millimetre and sub-millimetre frequencies more severely than it does for lower frequencies in the Earth-space path. There is therefore a need for accurate models that will enable the rainfall drop size distribution (DSD) to be better predicted for better planning and improved service delivery. Using data captured at Chilbolton Observatory, this paper looks at modelling the DSD using the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and attempts to predict the specific attenuation due to rain based on this model and compares the result with other well-established statistical models (lognormal and gamma). Results show that specific attenuation tends to increase with the drop sizes, and the smaller drops contribute little to the overall attenuation experienced by signals. Specific attenuation was computed based on several standard statistical distributions, and compared with that derived from the ITU recommendation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mobile and Satellite Communications Research Group, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK

    K’ufre-Mfon E. Ekerete, Francis H. Hunt & Ifiok E. Otung

  2. STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK

    Judith L. Jeffery

Authors
  1. K’ufre-Mfon E. Ekerete
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  2. Francis H. Hunt
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  3. Judith L. Jeffery
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  4. Ifiok E. Otung
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francis H. Hunt .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Computing, University of South Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom

    Ifiok Otung

  2. University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom

    Prashant Pillai

  3. The University of Sheffield , Thessaloniki, Greece

    George Eleftherakis

  4. University of Siena , Siena, Italy

    Giovanni Giambene

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© 2017 ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

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Ekerete, KM.E., Hunt, F.H., Jeffery, J.L., Otung, I.E. (2017). Specific Rain Attenuation Derived from a Gaussian Mixture Model for Rainfall Drop Size Distribution. In: Otung, I., Pillai, P., Eleftherakis, G., Giambene, G. (eds) Wireless and Satellite Systems. WiSATS 2016. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 186. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53850-1_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53850-1_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53849-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53850-1

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