Surface Electromagnetic Waves over the “Ice-Sea” Structure

Propagation conditions of radio waves over the “ice-sea” structure with a highly inductive impedance are often more favorable than over a clear sea due to the appearance of a surface electromagnetic wave. Numerical calculation algorithms for various radio wave propagation path models have been developed. The method of making prognostic maps of the surface impedance of the “ice-sea” structure according to the ice situation maps for the Arctic Ocean (AO) in different seasons of the year is considered. A formula is proposed for converting the spatial dependence of the ice thickness into the spatial dependence of the surface impedance at a fixed frequency in VLF-LF-MF ranges. Calculations of surface impedance for various types of sea ice are presented.