Bi-static environmental SAR radar imager

This paper presents a bi-static, SAR radar instrument optimized for long-term, remote snow-pack monitoring in polar areas. Power-efficiency is critical not only for sustained operation, but also for measurement interference due to snow melt. The paper carefully analyzes required power usage and present our first prototype system used for empirical verification and user evaluation. Trade-offs with respect to measurement quality is also analyzed. Power requirements for future unattended, solar-powered sensors systems are worked out and analyzed towards SoC integration.