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In a recent study, a 2-D pseudospectral time-domain (PSTD) full-wave simulator was developed and demonstrated to be capable of efficiently solving large-scale low-frequency (e.g., HF) electromagnetic scattering problems, for example, on the application of radar sounding simulations of planetary clutter and subsurfaces. In this article, the 2-D PSTD simulator is applied to simulate a domain as large as 4000 $\lambda $ (along-track) $\times 1666.67\,\,\lambda $ (cross-track) $\times 33.33\,\,\lambda $ (depth) with $\lambda =15$ m at an HF frequency of 20 MHz. To accomplish the goal, the simulator is further improved to efficiently model/simulate large cross-track slices of dielectric scenes by allowing nonuniform grid sampling in horizontal (lateral) and vertical directions, and the cross-track results are then stitched together along the track to form the simulated radargram. By combining the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) viewing geometry and Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation model (DEM), we simulate SHARAD returns at three different sites on Mars: one at the North Pole and two at Oxia Planum. At all three sites, the PSTD simulated radargrams are compared with measured SHARAD radargrams. Through power-level calibration and reference time adjustment, the PSTD simulated power estimates are further validated by comparing with real power observations from SHARAD with a 5-dB uncertainty and Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.3–0.4 (a $p$ -value on the order of $10^{-9}$), which justifies the use of the 2-D PSTD simulator for emulating surface clutter in planetary radar sounding. This simulator is open source and can be easily modified to support radar sounding simulations in support of other planetary missions with radar sounding instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the analysis of opposite-side ambiguities in single-pass radar sounding interferometry. Nadir pointing radar sounders suffer inherent cross track ambiguities that cannot be separated with the power image alone. Interferometry can be used to interpret these ambiguities when data are collected with multichannel receivers. However, opposite-side surface clutter, volume scattering, and cross track range misalignment create unique interferometric phase and correlation signatures. Such signatures are observed experimentally in data collected by the Polarimetric Airborne Radar Ice Sounder (POLARIS) P-band multichannel radar sounder. We derive analytic expressions to predict the observations and validate them with simulation. In addition, we observe and explain a correlation dropout feature that is due to volume scattering competing with surface clutter in the null of the cross track antenna pattern. The purpose of this article is to explain opposite-side ambiguity signatures in radar sounder interferometry and provide models and techniques for scientific interpretation of interferograms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a method to analyze surface clutter discrimination for radar sounding interferometry. Nadir-looking low-frequency radar sounders cannot easily resolve off-nadir surface echoes from subsurface nadir echoes. Sounders equipped with multichannel receivers can use interferometric phase to discriminate whether a feature is at nadir or not. We developed a method to evaluate the performance of this application of interferometry and used it to analyze the selected Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) instrument on NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon Europa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]