A VHE radar to make terrain elevation models through tropical jungle

A radar system is described, operating at 200-400 MHz, which produces profiles of the ground in the presence of dense tropical forest cover. The profiles can be assembled to construct a contour map of the terrain at scales as large as 1:10000. The radar uses a 5-ns pulsewidth, and has achieved a total system accuracy of 2.5 m (vertical). A brief description is given of each of the major features of the radar system, including antennas, processor, and radio frequency design. Examples are given of mapping products from a recent survey in Indonesia. Possible future improvements involving the use of the Global Positioning System are mentioned.<
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