HF radio wave transmission over sea ice and remote sensing possibilities

Ground wave propagation is analyzed for a path where sea water is covered by a uniform layer of sea ice. The source is taken to be a vertical electric dipole on or above the ice layer. The solution indicates that a trapped surface wave is significant at short ranges while, at longer ranges, the usual ground wave modes are dominant. The resulting interference pattern may produce rapid variations of the field at intermediate ranges. These characteristics, as well as the height dependence of the observed field strength, are strongly dependent on the thickness of the ice layer.