Numerical Modeling and Mechanism Analysis of VHF Wave Propagation in Forested Environments Using the Equivalent Slab Model

Abstract—We study the radio wave propagation at VHF frequencies in a forested environment using a three-layer anisotropic slab model. The analytical solution to the slab model is implemented numerically to generate broadband data. The data are then transformed into the time domain. The various propagation mechanisms including the direct wave, the lateral wave, the multi-reflected slab waves and the multi-bounce lateral waves are investigated based on their respective times-of-flight. Our results show that the dominant propagation mechanisms are highly dependent on the effective permittivity and conductivity of the forest layer. We then utilize the numerical solution to extract the effective medium parameters of the forest based on the published measurement data of Hicks et al.. Good agreement between the fitted model and the measurement data is achieved. The extracted effective permittivity and conductivity of the forest layer show considerable anisotropy and frequency dependence. 1.