Numerical simulation of airborne GPR data for detection of metallic landmines

Summary: Cleaning of contaminated lands containing unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mine fields demands special consideration in the war-torn countries. Some geophysical methods have been used for detecting these destructive remnants of war. Nowadays, airborne GPR has been considered as a fast and effective tool for UXO detection. In this study, the feasibility of airborne GPR for detection of anti-personal metallic landmines has been investigated by numerical simulation of back scattered GPR waves from two artificial physical models A and B. Model A is a column of a two-layer model comprising of a layer of soil under a layer of air. In model B, an anti-personal metallic landmine has been buried in the center of model A at a depth of 10 cm beneath the soil. By using the numerical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the radargram and central traces of back scattered GPR waves from both physical models A and B have been simulated in various altitudes (0-10 meters) and operating frequencies of the transmitted GPR wave (100-1500 MHz). To do this, MATLAB and REFLEXW software packages have been employed. Moreover, several signal processing techniques including signal energy analysis, multi resolution wavelet transform, and time-frequency analysis have been performed instead of using the noise removal and trace extraction, which are related to the target. As a result, detection of intended mine becomes possible by applying airborne GPR up to altitude of 10 m and using operation frequency of transmitted GPR wave of 550 MHz to over 1000 MHz.
Landmines are a humanitarian challenge because they indiscriminately kill and maim people and they remain active for decades. As a result, most of the victims of mines are innocent men, women and children. Hence, cleaning of contaminated lands containing UXO and mine fields requires special consideration in the war-torn countries. In situations of dealing with dangerous landmine targets and a wide-area coverage requirement, tactical forces are highly desirable. This requirement could be attained by applying airborne GPR method. Therefore, in this study, the feasibility of detection anti-personal metallic landmines using airborne GPR method has been considered. For this purpose, the backscattered GPR waves from two artificial models have been simulated by applying numerical FDTD method in various altitudes and operational frequencies.
Methodology and Approaches: In this study, the ability of airborne GPR data simulation for detecting anti-personal metallic landmines has been evaluated by applying numerical FDTD method using MATLAB and REFLEXW software packages. Then, travel time signals have been analyzed using signal energy analysis, wavelet transform, and time frequency analysis techniques.
Results and Based on the numerical simulation and signal processing conducted in this study, the results show that detection of the landmine target under test is possible up to the altitude of 10 m using the operation frequency of 550 MHz to over 1000MHz. Furthermore, the results show that the detection of the target using airborne GPR operation in high frequencies of the transmitted GPR wave and in low altitudes is feasible.