Improving SCR of underground target signatures from air-launched GPR systems based on scattering center extraction

Air-launched GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) systems have the advantage of longer standoff distances compared to traditional ground-coupled GPR systems. One important drawback of these systems is that the energy coming from targets located on the ground is significantly stronger than from underground targets, in such a way that even the sidelobes of the former are usually higher than the main lobe of the latter. The CLEAN algorithm is a widespread deconvolution method originally introduced in radio astronomy. This paper investigates the applicability of CLEAN to enhance the weak response coming from underground targets in this type of GPR systems.