Experimental investigation of directional characteristics for ionospheric clutter in HF surface wave radar

Abstract

The unwanted radar echoes from the ionosphere are collectively called ionospheric clutter. It has proved to be the greatest impediment to achieve consistently good performance in long-range detection of surface vessels and sea-state monitoring for high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR). Field experimental data recorded by the HFSWR OSMAR2003 (Ocean State Monitor and Analysis Radar, manufactured in 2003) has been used in detailed investigations of the directional characteristics for this ionosphere clutter, leading to the development of effective mitigation techniques based on antenna design and adaptive signal processing. Particular attention is given to the amplitude and phase relationship among multiple spatial channels for two types of ionospheric clutter. Preliminary experimental results show that the random gain and phase variation of the antenna pattern overhead null destroyed the amplitude and phase consistency among channels. As a result, no significant measured directivity is observed in this type of specular clutter. For the incidence clutter from a lower elevation angle, it is observed that the spread clutter possesses high directivity. A nonlinear receiving array composed of multiple V-shaped antennas without deep and broad null at near-vertical incidence is proposed for adaptive ionospheric clutter suppression.