Inversion for atmosphere duct parameters using real radar sea clutter

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the lower atmospheric refractivity (M profile) under nonstandard propagation conditions frequently encountered in low altitude maritime radar applications. The vertical structure of the refractive environment is modeled using five parameters and the horizontal structure is modeled using five parameters. The refractivity model is implemented with and without a priori constraint on the duct strength as might be derived from soundings or numerical weather-prediction models. An electromagnetic propagation model maps the refractivity structure into a replica field. Replica fields are compared with the observed clutter using a squared-error objective function. A global search for the 10 environmental parameters is performed using genetic algorithms. The inversion algorithm is implemented on the basis of S-band radar sea-clutter data from Wallops Island, Virginia (SPANDAR). Reference data are from range-dependent refractivity profiles obtained with a helicopter. The inversion is assessed (ⅰ) by comparing the propagation predicted from the radar-inferred refractivity profiles with that from the helicopter profiles, (ⅱ) by comparing the refractivity parameters from the helicopter soundings with those estimated. This technique could provide near-real-time estimation of ducting effects.     

基于雷达海杂波的区域性非均匀蒸发波导反演方法

由于不同海域上空气象条件的不同, 海上蒸发波导在大尺度海面上空发生时通常是区域性非均匀的, 这一特性使得该环境中的电波传播特性相对于水平均匀的蒸发波导环境情况而明显不同, 因此, 进行区域性非均匀的蒸发波导探测反演对正确预测电波传播特性及提高雷达系统的工作性能具有重要的意义. 考虑到实际应用中蒸发波导信息获取手段的多样性, 将中尺度数值气象模式MM5预报的区域性蒸发波导修正折射率剖面作为先验信息, 提出了一种含该先验信息的区域性非均匀蒸发波导的雷达海杂波后验概率估计模型. 该模型使用主分量分析法对蒸发波导的水平非均匀性进行参数化建模, 然后通过贝叶斯理论将修正折射率剖面参数的先验概率分布、后验概率分布和似然函数联系起来, 利用雷达海杂波实现蒸发波导剖面参数的最大后验概率估计反演. 通过我国东海海域的实际区域性非均匀蒸发波导反演测试, 表明该模型能够以更高的精度实现区域性非均匀蒸发波导的反演.     

Refractivity estimation from radar sea clutter

This paper addresses the problem of estimating lower atmospheric refractivity under the nonstandard propagation conditions frequently encountered in low altitude maritime radar applications. The vertical structure of the refractive environment is modeled by using a five-parameter model, and the horizontal structure is modeled as range-independent. The electromagnetic propagation in the troposphere is simulated by using a split-step fast Fourier transform based on parabolic approximation to the wave equation. A global search marked as a modified genetic algorithm (MGA) for the 5 environmental parameters is performed by using a genetic algorithm (GA) integrated with a simulated annealing technique. The retrieved results from simulated runs demonstrate the ability of this method to make atmospheric refractivity estimations. A comparison with the classical GA and the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (Bayesian-MCMC) technique shows that the MGA can not only shorten the inverse time but also improve the inverse precision. For real data cases, the inversion values do not match the reference data very well. The inverted profile, however, can be used to synoptically describe the real refractive structure.     

The estimation of lower refractivity uncertainty from radar sea clutter using the Bayesian-MCMC method

The estimation of lower atmospheric refractivity from radar sea clutter(RFC) is a complicated nonlinear optimization problem.This paper deals with the RFC problem in a Bayesian framework.It uses the unbiased Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) sampling technique,which can provide accurate posterior probability distributions of the estimated refractivity parameters by using an electromagnetic split-step fast Fourier transform terrain parabolic equation propagation model within a Bayesian inversion framework.In contrast to the global optimization algorithm,the Bayesian-MCMC can obtain not only the approximate solutions,but also the probability distributions of the solutions,that is,uncertainty analyses of solutions.The Bayesian-MCMC algorithm is implemented on the simulation radar sea-clutter data and the real radar seaclutter data.Reference data are assumed to be simulation data and refractivity profiles are obtained using a helicopter.The inversion algorithm is assessed(i) by comparing the estimated refractivity profiles from the assumed simulation and the helicopter sounding data;(ii) the one-dimensional(1D) and two-dimensional(2D) posterior probability distribution of solutions.