Global statistical modeling of liquid cloud, ice cloud, and aerosol attenuation in satellite-Earth free-space optical communication.

Authors

Ishaani R Kamath, N Anand

Published in

Applied optics. Volume 65. Issue 23. Pages 7987-7992. Aug 10, 2026.

Abstract

The lack of a comprehensive global model for atmospheric attenuation remains a bottleneck in the operational planning and link budgeting of satellite-Earth free-space optical (FSO) communication links. Using 10 years of reanalysis and satellite data, we develop a global statistical model that accounts for uncertainties and hourly variability in liquid cloud, ice cloud, and aerosol attenuation. While liquid cloud attenuation is well described globally by a gamma distribution, ice cloud attenuation follows a log-normal distribution in the tropics and a gamma distribution in extratropical and polar regions. Aerosol attenuation follows a gamma distribution over oceans and a log-normal distribution over land. Though aerosol attenuation is generally an order of magnitude lower than cloud attenuation, it is shown to be crucial in locations with low cloud water and ice content. These findings provide a quantitative framework for the site selection of optical ground stations and link-budget studies of satellite-Earth FSO links.

PMID:
42593471
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Aug 2026.

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