Permittivity Estimation Using Coupling of Commercial Ground Penetrating Radars

A novel method is presented for the characterization of dielectric grounds. The technique measures frequency shifts in a radar's crosstalk and links them to ground permittivity. The method is simple to implement and operates in real time. It may be implemented on the early-time signal of any ground-coupled radar and requires no knowledge of the system's antennas or feed structure. Accurate permittivity measurements are obtained, which may be then used to obtain depth estimates or as an input to inverse scattering and imaging techniques.