Measurement of Layer Thickness and Permittivity Using a New Multilayer Model From GPR Data

The conventional method, i.e., the common middle point (CMP) method, has been used for many years for estimating the depth and permittivity of layered media from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. However, the CMP method results in noticeable errors in thickness and permittivity readings with the increase of antenna separation. To improve the measurement accuracy, a new mathematical model is presented, covering GPR measurement in one- and two-layer cases. In this model, we first check all the possible wave paths when the GPR signal propagates in the multilayer environment. We not only consider the effects from the air-ground interface but also introduce a ray-path-searching process in the GPR measurement using Fermat's shortest path law. The shortest path is then used in the process of GPR data inversion in order to calculate the depth and permittivity of each layer. Finally, we use the transmission-line matrix (TLM) method to simulate the propagation of a GPR signal in the multilayered formation. A time-sequence image that was produced by the finite-difference time-domain method has also been used to explain this presented model. By comparing the numerical simulation results with the measured results, it is found that the estimated layer thickness and permittivity by the new model agree well with the simulated results. It proves that the new model is more accurate and closer to the real measured situation.     

Time-domain sensing of targets buried under a Gaussian,exponential, or fractal rough interface

The authors numerically examine subsurface sensing via an ultrawideband ground penetrating radar (GPR) system. The target is assumed to reside under a randomly rough air-ground interface and is illuminated by a pulsed plane wave. The underlying wave physics is addressed through application of the multiresolution time-domain (MRTD) algorithm. The scattered time-domain fields are parametrized as a random process and an optimal detection scheme is formulated, accounting for the clutter and target signature statistics. Detector performance is evaluated via receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) for variable sensor parameters (polarization and incident angle) and for several rough-surface statistical models     

基于随机滤波的探地雷达成像方法

探地雷达是一种超宽带雷达系统,若按传统的奈奎斯特采样,雷达回波信号需要大量空间存储。压缩感知可以实现利用少量的测量值对稀疏信号进行重构,其中最为关键的是测量矩阵和重构算法的选择。本文将压缩感知应用于探地雷达成像,并利用随机滤波的思想选择测量矩阵,可以有效减少测量矩阵中非零值的个数。利用正交匹配追踪算法对信号进行重构,算法简单,降低了数据的存储量和运算复杂度,该算法同样可以对时间和空间上同时压缩的数据进行成像。最后,本文给出基于时间连续信号的GPR接收机一种CS实现方案。仿真结果表明,本文提出的成像方法可以以少量数据精确地对信号进行重构,并且运算量少。      

Ground-penetrating radar measurement of soil water content dynamics using a suspended horn antenna

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) with a suspended horn antenna was used to obtain continual measurement of near-surface soil water content dynamics within a well-defined footprint. Water contents inferred from radar surface reflectivity (SR) were in agreement with gravimetric measurements from the top 1-cm soil layer. This sensitivity to top 1 cm was confirmed by comparison of SR with deeper measurements (1-5 cm) obtained by time-domain reflectometry. Measurements over sand and silt loam showed the role of soil type in controling near-surface dynamics of soil water due to evaporation and drainage processes. GPR with a horn antenna provided insights into physical processes that could affect larger scale radar platforms (air- or spaceborne) and enabled verification of radar measurements at well-defined spatial scales and detailed temporal resolutions not available by other radar remote sensing systems.     

浅地层探地雷达波速估计和成像方法的研究

在分析探地雷达图像特点的基础上,将图像处理方法应用于雷达波速估计和合成孔径成像,提出了基于模板匹配的浅地层探地雷达波速估计方法和基于图像分割的快速合成孔径成像方法;实测数据的处理结果验证了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

频率步进探地雷达的SAR成像处理方法

由于冲激脉冲探地雷达平均功率低,限制了其作用距离和探测深度,多用于近地表和浅低层探测。为了提高系统的作用距离和探测深度,常采用频率步进探地雷达。利用频率步进信号的大带宽和高平均功率的特点,不但可以提高作用距离和探测深度,而且成像分辨率可以大为改善。由于介质与空气的介电特性不一致,电磁波的传播路径和传播速度会发生相应的改变,常用的回波模型和合成孔径成像方法不再使用。本文推导出了频率步进探地雷达的回波信号模型,并结合SAR成像理论,针对地下目标探测的特点,提出了分层聚焦的SAR成像处理方法,取得了良好的效果。     

Integration of Ground-Penetrating Radar and Laser Position Sensors for Real-Time 3-D Data Fusion

Full-resolution 3-D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) imaging of the near surface should be simple and efficient. Geoscientists, archeologists, and engineers need a tool capable of generating interpretable subsurface views at centimeter-to-meter resolution of field sites ranging from smooth parking lots to rugged terrain. The authors have integrated novel rotary laser positioning technology with GPR into such a 3-D imaging system. The laser positioning enables acquisition of centimeter accurate x, y, and z coordinates from multiple small detectors attached to moving GPR antennas. Positions streaming with 20 updates/s from each detector are fused in real time with the GPR data. The authors developed software for automated data acquisition and real time 3-D GPR data quality control on slices at selected depths. Industry standard (SEGY) format data cubes and animations are generated within an hour after the last trace has been acquired. Such instant 3-D GPR can be used as an on-site imaging tool supporting field work, hypothesis testing, and optimized excavation and sample collection in the exploration of the static and dynamic nature of the shallow subsurface     

Accurate Imaging of Multicomponent GPR Data Based on Exact Radiation Patterns

Scalar migration algorithms developed for three-dimensional seismic data are commonly used for imaging ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. Yet, radar is a vector phenomenon, such that the GPR amplitudes and phases depend on the antenna orientations and wave propagation paths. To address this issue, vector imaging algorithms that fully account for the vector characteristics of GPR data are required. All previously developed vector imaging algorithms are based on far-field approximations of radiation patterns. We demonstrate the limited applicability of these algorithms and introduce a computationally efficient practically exact-field method that accounts for the far-, intermediate-, and near-field contributions to the radiation patterns. To compute rapidly the required "exact" radiation patterns, inverse fast Fourier transforms are applied to their horizontal wavenumber-frequency domain formulations, balancing the tradeoff between accuracy and efficiency by an appropriate oversampling in the wavenumber-frequency domain, and taking advantage of vertical wavenumber phase shifting. We include the exact radiation patterns in a multicomponent vector imaging scheme that jointly images copolarized and cross-polarized data. This scheme is tested on synthetic and field data containing dipping planar and near-planar structures. For both suites of data, high-quality multicomponent images with reflection amplitudes that are nearly independent of the antenna and reflector orientations are obtained     

基于Kirchhoff的MIMO探地雷达成像方法

随着对地下探测场景的不断扩大,传统探地雷达系统收发一体、逐点采集的数据获取方式已无法满足实时性需求.近年来,MIMO雷达实时性的优势不断凸显,因此研究基于MIMO的探地雷达数据处理和成像方法很有必要.本文在传统探地雷达偏移成像方法的基础上,针对MIMO探地雷达的空耦合成像问题,提出了一种基于Kirchhoff的MIMO...     

一种抑制探地/穿墙成像多径虚假目标的新型概率模型:数值研究(英文)

该文提出了一种抑制探地和穿墙成像中多径虚假目标的新方法, 虚假目标主要来源于基于伯恩近似的线性成像算法, 该方法忽略了目标之间的多次散射。相对已有抑制多径虚假目标的方法, 该文的主要贡献有两个方面:(a)目标反射率第一次用概率函数模型表征, (b)成像过程中引入随机孔径(从整个孔径中随机选取获得)的概念, 因此, 最终雷达图像可以理解为由随机子孔径得到图像相乘获得的联合概率分布。最后, 通过一组数值算例验证了该方法在探地和穿墙成像中的有效性。      

预警机支援下的空地协同目标定位研究

针对传统的抗干扰双站测向交叉定位方法存在的基线及其延长线附近无法实现对目标准确定位的问题,利用预警机装备的优点,提出了一种基于预警机支援的空地协同目标定位方法.该方法使用预警机提供的目标高度信息,以及地面雷达提供的角度信息,在数据处理中心进行目标距离的解算,克服了如上所述的双站测向交叉定位的缺点.分析了该方法的解算精度,经过仿真证明了该方法的可行性.     

辐射式仿真中脉冲雷达ISAR成像等效模拟方法

脉冲雷达信号广泛用于逆合成孔径雷达(ISAR)成像。在辐射式仿真中采用脉冲雷达信号进行ISAR成像时,由于脉宽对应的传播距离远大于微波暗室的空间长度,脉冲回波会在发射信号未被完全辐射之前返回接收机,使得收发信号相互耦合,难以得到ISAR图像。该文提出基于间歇收发的脉冲雷达ISAR成像等效模拟方法,通过将脉冲信号分段发射、分段接收,得到分段稀疏的目标回波。然后,结合压缩感知与间歇收发回波,重构得到ISAR图像。根据等效模拟的实现流程,对仿真与实测数据进行分析,结果表明,该等效模拟方法所得ISAR图像与完整脉冲回波所得图像基本一致,从而验证了等效模拟方法的有效性。     

基于NUFFT的机载探地雷达后向投影成像算法

由于后向投影算法可以精确补偿电磁波在介质表面发生的折射效应,因此它在机载探地雷达成像技术领域具有较强的工程实用价值。但传统后向投影成像算法存在计算量大难以实时实现的问题,针对上述问题,文中提出一种基于非均匀快速傅里叶变换(NUFFT)技术的机载探地雷达快速后向投影成像算法。通过对基于时域有限差分法产生的仿真数据进行处理,验证了所提成像算法的有效性和快速运算能力。     

Numerical simulations of the scattered field near a statistically rough air-ground interface

The two-dimensional problem of horizontally polarized wave scattering from an air-ground interface is considered. The diffraction problem is formulated by means of the extinction theorem, leading to a system of two simultaneous surface integral equations. The small-slope approximation has been used to solve this system. This solution was used as a fast forward solver in the Monte Carlo simulations of the scattered field near to the rough interface. Properties of the reflected field have been investigated for a single realization of the rough interface as well as for a statistical ensemble of such interfaces. Special attention has been paid to the phase of the reflected field (in the case of a single realization) and to the variance of the reflected field (in the case of a statistical ensemble), which has direct relation with the surface clutter in ground penetrating radars. A principal possibility to retrieve a surface profile from interferometric measurements of the reflected field near the surface is demonstrated.     

From Glacier Facies to SAR Backscatter Zones via GPR

We present a comparison between data acquired with frequency-modulated ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Both radars are polarimetric and operate at a center frequency of 5.3 GHz. The field site is the polythermal glacier Kongsvegen, Svalbard. Along glacier GPR profiles cover the ablation area and the accumulation area, where the latter consists of superimposed ice (SI) and firn. The glacier facies are clearly identifiable on the GPR profiles, although we show that the copolarized response is better for distinguishing different ice zones, whereas the SI–firn boundary is most obvious in the cross-polarized response. A calibrated backscatter coefficient is calculated for the GPR data and compared with the SAR backscatter coefficient. The SAR zones are in very good agreement with the GPR-derived glacier facies. We show that, in the ablation area, the SAR response is dominated by backscatter from the previous summer surface. In the SI and firn areas, it is dominated by sources below the previous summer surface.      

Simulation of the High-Frequency Response of a Heterogeneous Ground through the Finite Difference Technique

To simulate the propagation of an electromagnetic plane wave in an inhomogeneous ground, the finite difference approach can be used. One of the main problems in using this method is imposing the boundary conditions near the ground surface, especially at high frequency. Indeed, for the E polarization, the upper top of the numerical grid must be sufficiently far away from the air-ground interface in order to neglect the field due to the heterogeneities and the discretization of the atmosphere is necessary. For magneto-telluric modeling, improved boundary conditions have already been proposed. This paper deals with a new condition, valid everywhere in air and which can be applied for E and H polarization. Thus even at high frequency, as for radar applications, only one line is added to the grid discretizing the ground.     

Filtering Soil Surface and Antenna Effects From GPR Data to Enhance Landmine Detection

The detection of antipersonnel landmines using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is particularly hindered by the predominant soil surface and antenna reflections. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to filter out these effects from 2-D off-ground monostatic GPR data by adapting and combining the radar antenna subsurface model of Lambot with phase-shift migration. First, the antenna multiple reflections originating from the antenna itself and from the interaction between the antenna and the ground are removed using linear transfer functions. Second, a simulated Green's function accounting for the surface reflection is subtracted. The Green's function is derived from the estimated soil surface dielectric permittivity using full-wave inversion of the radar signal for a measurement taken in a local landmine-free area. Third, off-ground phase-shift migration is performed on the 2-D data to filter the effect of the antenna radiation pattern. We validate the approach in laboratory conditions for four differently detectable landmines embedded in a sandy soil. Compared to traditional background subtraction, this new filtering method permits a better differentiation of the landmine and estimation of its depth and geometrical properties. This is particularly beneficial for the detection of landmines in low-contrast conditions     

Experimental verification of computation of scattering byflush-buried objects

The calculated results of the electromagnetic scattering by flush-buried objects situated in an air-ground interface are experimentally verified. The field is that at a short distance above the interface. The objects are a metal disk and a dielectric cylinder of finite dimensions. The experimental set-up and measurement procedures are described. A comparison of calculated and measured results is presented for the frequency range 500 to 1000 MHz for a soil of 20% wetness     

Directional ocean wave measurements in a coastal setting using afocused array imaging radar

A unique focused array imaging Doppler radar was used to measure directional spectra of ocean surface waves in a nearshore experiment performed on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Radar images of the ocean surface's Doppler velocity were used to generate two dimensional spectra of the radial component of the ocean surface velocity field. These are compared to simultaneous in-situ measurements made by a nearby array of submerged pressure sensors. Analysis of the resulting two-dimensional spectra include comparisons of dominant wave lengths, wave directions, and wave energy accounting for relative differences in water depth at the measurement locations. Limited estimates of the two-dimensional surface displacement spectrum are derived from the radar data. The radar measurements are analagous to those of interferometric synthetic aperture radars (INSAR), and the equivalent INSAR parameters are shown. The agreement between the remote and in-situ measurements suggests that an imaging Doppler radar is effective for these wave measurements at near grazing incidence angles     

探地雷达频率域2.5维正演

该文从频率域电磁法满足的控制方程出发,采用有限单元法实现了频率域2.5维探地雷达(GPR)正演模拟。重点分析了波数域电磁场谱随相对介电常数和收发距变化的规律,探讨了2.5维GPR正演模拟的波数选取问题;基于Open MP并行算法与串行算法的计算效率对比,表明频率域2.5维GPR数值模拟方法具有高效率、高精度和高度并行性的特点,为雷达正演提供重要理论参考依据和技术支撑,是GPR全波形反演的重要基础。