"K7ITM" wrote
... I'll say I disagree with the wording of an early sentence,
where it says that ground return currents are "greatly attenuated"
of they come through lossy earth. Clearly, the current is not
attenuated; the current is what it is. However, the current through
lossy ground causes power dissipation (and loss of radiated
power) in the ground.
___________

But without a low-loss r-f ground for a monopole such as provided by a good
buried radial system, those returning r-f currents ARE greatly attenuated
before they can enter into the ground terminal of the antenna system.

That ground resistance is in series with the radiation resistance of the
monopole, and so will reduce the current that will flow on the monopole --
hence the field it will radiate.

RF