Statistical Characterization of Signals Backscattered from Stationary Ground Targets for Radar Refractivity Estimation

In this paper, a statistical analysis of the radar signals backscattered by stationary ground targets is presented. Correct identification of stationary targets is a fundamental step for radar-based refractivity estimation algorithms. Current target identification techniques are based on measurements derived from the phase of the received signals, but they are often affected by atmospheric variations. This usually causes erroneous identifications. The received signal amplitude is virtually insensitive to these atmospheric variations, so taking into account amplitude information to discriminate between stationary and non-stationary targets should improve the results. Additionally, knowledge of the statistical characteristics of the received signals helps to analyse and improve the performance of the refractivity estimation algorithms.