Evaluation of Atmospheric Phase Correction Performance in 79 GHz Ground-Based Radar Interferometry: A Comparison with 17 GHz Ground-Based SAR Data

Abstract

Ground-based radar interferometry is capable of measuring target displacement to sub-mm accuracy. W-band ground-based radar has recently been investigated as a potential application for structural health monitoring. On the other hand, the application of W-band ground-based radar for natural slope monitoring is considered in this study due to its advantages in portability and recent cost-effective solutions. In radar interferometry, atmospheric phase screen (APS) is the most relevant phase disturbance that should be corrected for accurate displacement measurement. However, the APS effects in W-band radar interferometry have rarely been discussed. In this context, we study and evaluate the impacts of APS and its potential correction methods for 79 GHz ground-based radar interferometry using multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar. This paper presents an experimental investigation of a 79 GHz radar system using two types of field experiments conducted in an open flat field and a quarry site. In addition to the W-band radar system, a Ku-band (17 GHz) ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) system was jointly tested to compare different operating frequency bands. The result confirmed the accurate displacement estimation capability of the 79 GHz radar with an appropriate APS correction.