Estimation of the geometrical features of buried objects from GPR analysis

The ability of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to detect and reconstruct the location, size and shapes of buried objects by means of inverse data processing is addressed in this work. The choices of the relevant electromagnetic parameters, geometries, and operational frequencies are related to the investigations performed in the framework of the planetary ExoMars mission. The study shows to what extent the use of a frequency-domain microwave tomographic inversion algorithm allows us to recognize different kinds of canonical geometries, even in critical conditions where the scatterers have size comparable to the wavelengths of the probing signal and can be located close to the antennas. An extensive analysis has been carried out starting from radargrams derived both by measurements (a “sand-box” experimental setup) and by simulations (numerical data from ad-hoc implementation of a CAD tool).