Study of radar imaging of one-dimensional Gaussian random surface

This paper addresses the problem of analytical calculation of average intensity of pulsed radar return from one-dimensional random surface with Gaussian statistics. Existing formulae for backscattered fields from the sea surface lead to the expression for complex image amplitude and image intensity for a particular surface realization in terms of radar parameters and surface waveheight. It is shown that the analytical expression for average image intensity can be obtained by direct averaging (based on the surface statistics) of image intensity for a particular surface realization. Average image intensity predicted by the obtained expression is compared to the results of Monte Carlo simulations. The derived expression is also compared to the results predicted by facet model used in the theory of modulation transfer function.