Antenna-polarization and terrain-depolarization effects on pulse-radar return from extended areas at the near vertical

The methods now in the literature for calculating the terrain-backscattered radar-altimeter echo utilize the antenna power-gain patterns and the terrain radar cross section per unit area, usually designated σ0. In this paper, the polarization characteristics of the antennas and the echo depolarization by the terrain are taken into account for the first time. The formulas for the backscattered return are presented in terms of antenna and terrain parameters that can be measured directly or calculated from other measurements. These parameters are the four transmitting- and receiving-antenna gain patterns for the orthogonal polarization components, the two functions giving transmission- and reception-phase difference between the polarization components, the terrain-depolarization factor that accounts for the average backscattered power cross polarized with respect to the incident wave, and the radar cross section σ0per unit area. It is shown that the older formulas used for radar return from the near vertical are correct only when both antennas are linearly polarized and have the same direction of polarization. The errors that result from failure to consider polarization effects are illustrated by examples.