A method for measuring the position of at least one surface in a metallurgical process which includes the steps of providing a metallurgical melt, the metallurgical melt including at least a metal portion and a slag layer, providing a signal generator for generating signals at a plurality of frequencies over a frequency band, and providing an antenna for receiving the signals generated by the signal generator and for transmitting circularly polarized radio waves at the plurality of frequencies over the frequency band. The invention further includes the steps of disposing the antenna adjacent the metallurgical melt, transmitting the circularly polarized radio waves from the antenna toward the metallurgical melt, the circularly polarized radio waves being transmitted by the antenna at the plurality of frequencies over the frequency band, receiving reflected images of the transmitted radio waves through the antenna, the received reflected images of the transmitted radio waves having a substantially opposite circular polarization from the transmitted circularly polarized radio waves, determining a phase displacement between the transmitted radio waves and the received reflected images of the transmitted radio waves, transforming the determined phase displacement from a frequency to a time plane, and determining from the time plane transform a position of at least one surface of at least one of the metal portion and the slag layer.