Multi-Channel RADAR Depth Sounder (MCRDS) signal processing: A distributed computing approach

In response to problems surrounding measuring ice sheet thickness in high attenuation areas of Greenland and the Antarctic, the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) created a Multi-Channel RADAR Depth Sounder (MCRDS). The MCRDS system was used to measure ice thicknesses of up to five kilometers in depth. This system produced large datasets, which required greater processing capabilities in the field. The purpose of this project was to test processing performance on a 32-core cluster through distributed computing resources. Testing involved a six-node cluster with an attached storage array and use of the CReSIS Synthetic Aperture RADAR Processor (CSARP) through the MATLAB Distributed Server Job Manager. Performance testing was derived from average run times collected once CSARP jobs completed. The run times were then compared using an ANOVA test with a five percent significance level.