Performance Analysis of Side-Looking Ground Penetrating Radar Imaging

This report investigates the expected performance of a side-looking ground penetrating radar (GPR) imaging systems in the presence of clutter. The analysis is based on numeric simulations of point target and clutter responses in various synthetic aperture radar configurations, capable of producing 2-D images of the underground space. Both rough surface and inhomogeneous ground are considered in the clutter models, with strong emphasis on out-of-plane imaging effects. These include image defocusing when the target location is outside the image plane. The results are presented in terms of the target-to-clutter ratio as a function of various system parameters, such as angle of incidence, range, and target burial depth. Comparisons with down-looking GPR imaging systems indicate that side-looking systems may be effective in detecting shallow buried targets, but their performance degrades rapidly in the presence of deep-buried targets.