Controlled experiments were conducted to examine the effect of fog on signal propagation in wireless communication and radar links operating in millimeter wavelengths. The experiments were carried out in a fog laboratory to verify theoretical results obtained from Liebe’s model. Attenuation and phase shifts of millimeter wave (mmW) radiation were measured, at different fog density characterized by the visibility distance and its water vapor content. Utilizing a vector network analyzer (VNA) enabled us to examine the actual atmospheric attenuation and the phase shift caused by the fog retardation. The experimental results demonstrate good agreement with the simulations even for very low visibility in highly dense fog. The study can be used to estimate link budget of mmW wireless links, including those allocated for the fifth generation (5G) of cellular networks.

This study introduces and validates a cloud condensation model on insoluble nuclei using a novel comparative analysis of simultaneous radiosonde and ceilometer data. A transformation of the radiosonde's temperature and relative humidity profiles into a simulated optical backscatter signal is implemented via the model, which includes a critical rate-limiting activation step. By comparing this simulated signal with the ceilometer's measured data, the model can determine the minimum effective size of dust particles required to act as cloud condensation nuclei. This approach has direct implications for improving the parameterization of cloud formation in local weather models, particularly for rainfall forecasting in dust-prone arid and semi-arid regions.