Evaluation of the Distribution of Terrain Roughness Index for Terrestrial Line of Site Microwave Links in Uyo Metropolis

Abstract

In this paper, the distribution of terrain roughness index in Uyo metropolis is presented. The path (elevation) profiles of various regions or areas in Uyo are captured and then used to compute the terrain roughness index. According to the results, the terrain roughness index of the five signal paths studied within Uyo metropolis are 5.12m, 8.13m, 17.08, 18.63m and 21.11m. Generally, terrain roughness index less than 50ft or 15m is considered smooth terrain whereas those above 50ft or 15m are considered rough terrain. Therefore, among the five paths considered in this study, two paths smooth terrains while three paths are rough terrains of varying degrees of roughness. In all, Uyo metropolis has both smooth and rough terrains which will present different degrees of multipath fading for wireless signals.

Keywords

• terrain roughness index
• path profile
• elevation profile
• multipath fading
• geoclimatic factor