Ground clutter on radar is caused by reflections of radar waves from stationary objects on or near the Earth’s surface. These objects can include buildings, terrain features, vegetation, vehicles, and other structures. Radar waves emitted by the radar antenna bounce off these objects and return to the radar receiver, creating unwanted echoes.
Ground clutter may appear as stationary or slowly moving signals on the radar display, which may obscure or interfere with the radar yields of actual moving targets, such as aircraft or ships.
Land clutter is removed from a radar display using various signal processing techniques and filtering methods. A common approach is Doppler filtering, which distinguishes between stationary clutter and moving targets based on the Doppler shift of radar yields.
Since clutter objects are typically stationary or have a minimum velocity relative to moving targets, Doppler filtering can effectively suppress clutter echoes while preserving the efficiencies of moving targets.
Another method for removing clutter from the floor is through clutter maps or clutter removal algorithms. Clutter maps are pre-generated maps that identify the locations and characteristics of clutter sources within the radar coverage area. By comparing radar yields with the clutter map, clutter removal algorithms can differentiate between clutter echoes and genuine target echoes.
These algorithms then remove or filter clutter signals from the radar display, improving visibility and accuracy of radar detections of moving targets.
Additionally, adaptive signal processing techniques, such as Moving Target Indication (MTI) and Pulse-Doppler processing, are used to mitigate the effects of ground clutter. MTI techniques use phase comparison or delay lines to cancel stationary echoes, effectively reducing clutter signals.
Pulse-Doppler processing combines pulse radar with Doppler radar capabilities to differentiate between clutter and moving targets based on their velocity characteristics. Together, these techniques and algorithms improve radar performance by minimizing the impact of ground clutter and improving the detection and tracking capabilities of radar systems