On Signal Attenuation at Microwaves Frequencies Underwater

Abstract

In this work, we present experimental results on microwave propagation in the 2.4 GHz band in both seawater and freshwater. Measurements are carried out in a water tank by using well-known dipole antennas. We demonstrate that averaged channel gain values can be modeled by linear regression functions when they are represented in dB units along the distance. Experimental results set a baseline for further research on antenna design. They may also be used for further simulations of EM propagation in water. The study is useful to explore microwave signal coverage for planning underwater communications, and it is part of the current undergoing research carried out by WiSub AS and UiB on the development of subsea contactless connectors.