APPLIED JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2756-6684
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/AJPS
Start Year: 2018
Email: ajps@integrityresjournals.org
Investigating ducting and tropo-scatter effects on radio wave propagation in Southern Nigeria
https://doi.org/10.31248/AJPS2025.130 | Article Number: F4C697414 | Vol.6 (5) - December 2025
Received Date: 26 August 2026 | Accepted Date: 25 October 2026 | Published Date: 30 December 2025
Author: E. T. Omotoso
Keywords: Atmospheric ducting, radio wave propagation, refractivity, telecommunications, tropo-scatter.
This study examines the influence of atmospheric ducting and tropo-scatter on radio wave propagation across five locations in Southern Nigeria: Akure, Abeokuta, Lagos Island, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. Meteorological data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (2012-2021) were combined with propagation models to evaluate seasonal and geographical variations in transmission loss. Results show that coastal regions, particularly Lagos Island and Port Harcourt, experience strong ducting during the wet season, with signal enhancements of 15-20 dB, with its peak around 234 dB. These conditions extend communication ranges but also increase the risk of co-channel interference. Inland regions, represented by Akure and Abeokuta, are dominated by tropo-scatter, which provides year-round beyond-line-of-sight coverage but introduces moderate fluctuations (5-10 dB) and higher error rates due to fading. The findings highlight a strong coastal–inland contrast in propagation mechanisms, underscoring the need for location-specific network planning. Coastal systems should adopt interference management strategies such as power control and directional antennas, while inland systems require robust fade margins and adaptive modulation to counter scatter-driven variability. These insights are valuable for optimising telecommunications infrastructure, improving broadcast reliability, and enhancing navigation and defence communication systems in Nigeria.
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