Oil Spill In Gulf

[eskipper411]

I maybe asking a very stupid question but if the Gulf can increase AM skip, will the oil increase it even more?

 

[stormy01]

AM skip is normally referred to a skywave, that is, radio waves bouncing off of the ionosphere high above earth and back down to the ground. What I believe you're talking about is 'groundwave' propagation (since radio waves also follow the curvature of the earth, whether that be land or water) There is a skywave component to propagation (generally at night on AM/MW) and there is also a groundwave component to propagation day or night) Water has the highest conductivity, so oil must certainly be lower, how much lower I have no idea. Depending on the percentage of oil in the water that would likely lower the conductivity of the water. I personally don't want to find out - I, like many of us, hope the gushing oil well is stopped and cleanup begins - hurricane season is coming soon...the thought of a hurricane churning up the waters of the gulf with that oil mixed in - that's sickening. I don't care to find out if it enhances or reduces DX reception...

 

[Silkie]

AM skip is normally referred to a skywave, that is, radio waves bouncing off of the ionosphere high above earth and back down to the ground. What I believe you're talking about is 'groundwave' propagation (since radio waves also follow the curvature of the earth, whether that be land or water) There is a skywave component to propagation (generally at night on AM/MW) and there is also a groundwave component to propagation day or night) Water has the highest conductivity, so oil must certainly be lower, how much lower I have no idea. Depending on the percentage of oil in the water that would likely lower the conductivity of the water. I personally don't want to find out - I, like many of us, hope the gushing oil well is stopped and cleanup begins - hurricane season is coming soon...the thought of a hurricane churning up the waters of the gulf with that oil mixed in - that's sickening. I don't care to find out if it enhances or reduces DX reception...

Oil and dispersants which are as dangerous as, or more dangerous than, the oil, but make it so that you simply cannot see the oil. Shows you how out of touch some people are. "We'll make it so that they can't see it; outa sight, outa mind".