ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the use of characteristic resonance identification techniques for buried targets seen by ground penetrating radar (GPR). GPR systems were first developed and used in the Vietnamese War. The chapter summarizes GPR theory and practice, particularly as they affect target detection and target signature discrimination. The physics of the GPR environment and target scattering characteristics mean that GPR is a sophisticated engineering tool and its behavior must be interpreted in the context of these characteristics of its operating environment. A GPR radiates electromagnetic waves downward into a soil or geological medium. The radar antenna must both radiate the transmitted signal and receive the radar echoes for the buried targets. The performance of this antenna is characterized by the traditional parameters such as gain, beamwidth, efficiency, and impedance. The radiation characteristics of the antenna include the polarization of the radiated and/or received signal.
