Abstract. The comparative experimental analysis of the single-mode and multimode positional characteristics of the wave beams at the lengthy atmospheric path output was carried out and the results are presented. As the main instrument the method of nonlinear time-frequency mapping was chosen using Wigner function apparatus. The characteristic time-frequency spectra under the conditions of strong, intermediate and weak turbulence of the atmospheric path were defined.The broad range of challenges suggested by the optical propagation channel demands quick signal correction to compensate the atmosphere induced distortions. In this article the sequential model for the analysis of the positional characteristics of the wave beams using the nonlinear time-frequency mapping is presented.Let us construct the time-space maps for nonstationary processes of the variations of a wave beam spatial moments on the base of Wigner-Willy representation. This allows circumventing restrictions of the uncertainty principle for time and frequency resolution [1]:Here s(t) is the initial signal. The presence of strong interference distortions makes the experimental results more difficult to interpret.Traditionally for meteomonitoring they use the C The time-frequency spectrum also depends on the atmospheric conditions. The first special moments spectra describe "the translational" beam motion. The spectra of the second moments describe the vibrational modes of the collimated beam and its nondiagonal element xyVar describes "rotatory" movement thus changing the direction of the orientation axis of approximating ellipsoid.Under the conditions described the sampling rate was equal to 100 Hz. In the case of weak turbulence the main components of the spectrum appear to be in the frequency range up to 5 Hz (Fig.1)). When the Rytov parameter increases up to 2.5 the spectrum occupies all the frequency range observed.