The Special Issue (SI) “Recent Advances in GPR Imaging” offers an up-to-date overview of state-of-the-art research activities dealing with the development of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology and its recent advances in imaging in the different fields of application. In fact, the advances experimented with over the last few decades with regard to the appearance of new GPR systems and the need to manage large amounts of data suggest an increasing interest in the development of new signal processing algorithms and modeling, as well as in the use of three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques.

The Special Issue (SI) “Recent Advances in GPR Imaging” offers an up-to-date overview of state-of-the-art research activities dealing with the development of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology and its recent advances in imaging in the different fields of application. In fact, the advances experimented with over the last few decades with regard to the appearance of new GPR systems and the need to manage large amounts of data suggest an increasing interest in the development of new signal processing algorithms and modeling, as well as in the use of three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has become one of the key technologies in subsurface sensing and, in general, in non-destructive testing (NDT), since it is able to detect both metallic and nonmetallic targets. GPR for NDT has been successfully introduced in a wide range of sectors, such as mining and geology, glaciology, civil engineering and civil works, archaeology, and security and defense. In recent decades, improvements in georeferencing and positioning systems have enabled the introduction of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques in GPR systems, yielding GPR-SAR systems capable of providing high-resolution microwave images. In parallel, the radiofrequency front-end of GPR systems has been optimized in terms of compactness (e.g., smaller Tx/Rx antennas) and cost. These advances, combined with improvements in autonomous platforms, such as unmanned terrestrial and aerial vehicles, have fostered new fields of application for GPR, where fast and reliable detection capabilities are demanded. In addition, processing techniques have been improved, taking advantage of the research conducted in related fields like inverse scattering and imaging. As a result, novel and robust algorithms have been developed for clutter reduction, automatic target recognition, and efficient processing of large sets of measurements to enable real-time imaging, among others. This Special Issue provides an overview of the state of the art in GPR imaging, focusing on the latest advances from both hardware and software perspectives.

Advances in Near-surface Seismology and Ground-penetrating Radar (SEG Geophysical Developments Series No. 15) is a collection of original papers by renowned and respected authors from around the world. Technologies used in the application of near-surface seismology and ground-penetrating radar have seen significant advances in the last several years. Both methods have benefited from new processing tools, increased computer speeds, and an expanded variety of applications. This book, divided into four sections--"Reviews," "Methodology," "Integrative Approaches," and "Case Studies"--Captures the most significant cutting-edge issues in active areas of research, unveiling truly pertinent studies that address fundamental applied problems. This collection of manuscripts grew from a core group of papers presented at a post-convention workshop, "Advances in Near-surface Seismology and Ground-penetrating Radar," held during the 2009 SEG Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas. This is the first cooperative publication effort between the near-surface communities of SEG, AGU, and EEGS. It will appeal to a large and diverse audience that includes researchers and practitioners inside and outside the near-surface geophysics community. --Publisher description.

The aim of this Printed Edition of Special Issue entitled "Recent Advancements in Radar Imaging and Sensing Technology” was to gather the latest research results in the area of modern radar technology using active and/or radar imaging sensing techniques in different applications, including both military use and a broad spectrum of civilian applications. As a result, the 19 papers that have been published highlighted a variety of topics related to modern radar imaging and microwave sensing technology. The sequence of articles included in the Printed Edition of Special Issue dealt with wide aspects of different applications of radar imaging and sensing technology in the area of topics including high-resolution radar imaging, novel Synthetic Apertura Radar (SAR) and Inverse SAR (ISAR) imaging techniques, passive radar imaging technology, modern civilian applications of using radar technology for sensing, multiply-input multiply-output (MIMO) SAR imaging, tomography imaging, among others.

Included in this book are practical guidelines for data collection and interpretation, from antennae configurations to sequence stratigraphy, together with new advances such as vertical radar profiles and 3-D GPR imaging for hydrocarbon reservoir modelling, designed to assist new and veteran users get the most from GPR. Case studies in this book detail GPR investigations in a wide array of sedimentary environments including alluvial fans, braided rivers, spits, beaches, sand dunes, lakes, bogs, and floodplains.

This book, based on Transport and Urban Development COST Action TU1208, presents the most advanced applications of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in a civil engineering context, with documentation of instrumentation, methods and results. It explains clearly how GPR can be employed for the surveying of critical transport infrastructure, such as roads, pavements, bridges and tunnels and for the sensing and mapping of underground utilities and voids. Detailed attention is also devoted to use of GPR in the inspection of geological structures and of construction materials and structures, including reinforced concrete, steel reinforcing bars and pre/post-tensioned stressing ducts. Advanced methods for solution of electromagnetic scattering problems and new data processing techniques are also presented. Readers will come to appreciate that GPR is a safe, advanced, non destructive and noninvasive imaging technique that can be effectively used for the inspection of composite structures and the performance of diagnostics relevant to the entire life cycle of civil engineering works.