An HF bi-phase shift keying radar: application to ice sounding in Western Alps and Spitsbergen glaciers

A low-frequency ground penetrating radar, developed for martian subsurface sounding (Mars 96 Mission) is presented. During the preliminary campaigns, its performances have been studied by ice thickness determination on various glaciers. This radar is a pulse-compression system designed in order to limit the necessary peak power. It involves the phase modulation of the transmitted pulse by coded sequences. By moving the radar along a profile on the surface, a continuous section of the reflected energy associated with dielectric permittivity contrasts is obtained. Modulating the transmitted pulse and matched filtering the received signal provide a significant depth penetration while preserving a satisfactory range resolution. This processing is efficient even if the echo is partially shortened or if the signal is modified by differential attenuation. A multichannel filtering based on the spectral properties of the signal is then applied to the section. Experimental results of ice sounding on glaciers show that the ice-bedrock interface can be identified at depths between 30 and 120 m