Radar Meteorology Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The phenomenon responsible for the logarithmic distribution of power is diffraction. Diffraction refers to the bending of waves around obstacles and the spreading out of waves when they pass through small openings. This effect causes energy from a source to spread out over a larger area, leading to a decrease in intensity with distance.

In radar meteorology, when radar waves encounter an obstacle, such as atmospheric inhomogeneities or terrain, diffraction can lead to a change in the power levels detected at various points. This results in a distribution of power that often follows a logarithmic pattern, as the intensity diminishes with distance from the source.

While reflection, refraction, and absorption are also important phenomena that affect radar signals, they do not primarily cause the logarithmic distribution of power. Reflection involves the bouncing of waves off surfaces, refraction concerns the bending of waves through different media, and absorption refers to the loss of power when waves pass through a medium without being reflected or refracted. These processes can affect signal strength, but they do not create the logarithmic distribution characteristic of diffraction patterns.