Moving targets and multipath in SAR images of harbour scenes

This paper investigates unfocused backscattering associated with moving targets and sea-surface multipath in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of harbour scenes. SAR images collected with the lightweight airborne radar system PicoSAR have been analysed. Moving targets are observed in some of the images. A considerable amount of unfocused backscattering can be seen as fringes in azimuth in proximity to the sea. It is seen on land as well as on moored vessels. The observations strengthen the hypothesis that this smearing is due to sea-surface multipath. An imaging geometry that minimises the assumed multipath effects on ship targets is sought.