Permittivity Estimation Using Coupling of Commercial Ground Penetrating Radars

A novel method is presented for the characterization of dielectric grounds. The technique measures frequency shifts in a radar´s crosstalk and links them to ground permittivity. The method is simple to implement and operates in real time. It may be implemented on the early-time signal of any ground-coupled radar and requires no knowledge of the system´s antennas or feed structure. Accurate permittivity measurements are obtained, which may be then used to obtain depth estimates or as an input to inverse scattering and imaging techniques.