Polarization Diversity in Radar Meteorology: Early Developments

Polarization is a fundamental descriptor of electromagnetic waves and, as such, has received the attention of scientists for over three centuries, beginning with the discovery of double refraction in crystals by Bartolinus and the discovery of polarized light by Huygens in the seventeenth century. Dramatic advances in the understanding of optics and electricity occurred thereafter, particularly throughout the nineteenth century, culminating in Maxwell’s classic formulation of the electromagnetic theory, Hertz’ extensive experiments on radiation fields, and Lord Rayleigh’s investigations in electromagnetic scattering. These laid the groundwork for the development of radio, radar, and all that was to come in telecommunications during the twentieth century.