A Framework for Considering Receiver Saturation Trade-Offs in Ice-Penetrating Radars

We explore and present a range of strategies for quantifying and mitigating the effects of receiver saturation in ice-penetrating radars. Ice-penetrating radars must be able to detect very weak reflected signals while maintaining dynamic ranges greater than 120 dB or more. Historically, ice-penetrating radars have done this by increasing pulse length, increasing transmit power, and interleaving short and long pulses to improve dynamic range. In most ice-penetrating radar architectures, steps are taken to prevent receiver saturation. Here we investigate the performance trade-offs associated with receiver saturation, and explore techniques to impact the negative effects of receiver saturation.