Comparison of Surface Radio Refractivity Variability in the Northern and Southern Parts of Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Thirty-nine years of archived meteorological data measured at two stations located in the northern and southern parts of Quebec, Canada are used to estimate the surface refractivity and its dry and wet components. The results of the comparison of the obtained estimates showed that for all months the values of the dry component are higher in the northern part, whereas the values of the wet component are higher in the southern part. Due to this, for several months of the year, the values of the surface refractivity are higher in the northern part and for the remaining months in the southern part. Moreover, in both parts, August is the month where the highest values of the surface refractivity were recorded. In this particular month, the slope of the surface refractivity trend in the northern part is several times higher than that in the southern part. The obtained results show that the performance of the used direct smoothing forecasting technique depends on the deviation between the values of N in the current year and the previous year.