Application of year-round atmospheric transmission data, collected with the MSRT multiband transmissometer during the FATMOSE trial in the False Bay area

The FATMOSE trial (False Bay Atmospheric Experiment) is a continuation of the cooperative work between TNO and IMT on atmospheric propagation and point target detection and identification in a maritime environment (South Africa). The atmospheric transmission, being of major importance for target detection, was measured with the MSRT multiband...

Preliminary results of the FATMOSE atmospheric propagation trials in the False Bay, South Africa, November 2009-July 2010

The FATMOSE trial (FAlse-bay ATMOSpheric Experiment) running over a period from November 2009 to July 2010,was a continuation of the cooperation between TNO and IMT on atmospheric propagation and point target detection and identification in a maritime environment. Instruments were installed for measuring scintillation, blurring- and refraction...

Optical characteristics of small surface targets, measured in the False Bay, South Africa; June 2007

During the False Bay trial (June 2007), the performance of a set of three optical sensors was tested against several small surface targets in a coastal area: a hyperspectral camera, a camera with a rotating polarization filter and a high resolution camera. One objective was the validation of a contrast and clutter model for the visual spectral...

Measurement and prediction of optical turbulence effects as function of altitude in the marine boundary layer

The impact of atmospheric turbulence in the marine boundary layer on the performance of ship-borne and coastal optical and infrared surveillance sensors is well known. On the one hand, the detection process may benefit from scintillation of signals from point-like targets at long range, while target identification is hampered by turbulence...

Measurement of optical refraction-, transmission- and turbulence effects in the False Bay, South Africa; June 2007

Complementary to a measurement campaign of small surface targets in the False Bay, South Africa [1], a set-up could be arranged of atmospheric propagation experiments. This opportunity allowed us to collect another set of transmission data in a coastal area, where the environmental conditions are generally non-homogeneous and rapidly changing....

Measurement of optical refraction-, transmission- and turbulence effects in the False Bay, South Africa; June 2007

Complementary to a measurement campaign of small surface targets in the False Bay, South Africa [1], a set-up could be arranged of atmospheric propagation experiments. This opportunity allowed us to collect another set of transmission data in a coastal area, where the environmental conditions are generally non-homogeneous and rapidly changing....

The use of multi-band transmission data collected at Scripps pier in November 2006 for the investigation of aerosol characteristics

The knowledge of the atmospheric aerosol characteristics is of great importance for the range performance of Infrared and Electro-Optical sensor systems. The composition, the concentration and the size distribution of aerosols determine their scattering behavior as function of wavelength and thus their attenuation of light beams. When studies...

Refraction measurements and modeling over the Chesapeake Bay during the NATO (TG-51) SAPPHIRE trials, June 2006

Optical refraction tends to occur frequently in the atmospheric boundary layer. Due to a gradient in the temperature as function of height, rays are bending down towards the earth (super-refraction), or up towards to the sky (sub-refraction). As a consequence, images of targets at long range may be distorted and mirages may occur, while the...

Optical Characterisation of small surface targets

Present-day naval operations take place in coastal environments as well as narrow straits all over the world. Coastal environments around the world are exhibiting a number of threats to naval forces. In particular a large number of asymmetric threats can be present in environments with cluttered backgrounds as well as rapidly varying atmospheric...

Two-way multi-band optical/IR transmisson measurement in the Persian Gulf-coastal region

The atmospheric conditions in the Persian Gulf region are significantly different from other places in the world. The particle size distribution may vary daily and during the day. The aerosols can contribute to the amount of rainfall over land, important for the nations around the Gulf. In 2004 NASA/GSFC and NRL (Naval Research Laboratory)...

LOTUS field demonstration of integrated multi-sensor mine-detection system in Bosnia

The successful demonstration of the LOTUS landmine detection system was discussed. The demonstration of the integrated multi-sensor mine-detection system took place in August 2002 near the village of Vidovice, in the northeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The system consisted of a metal detector (MD) array, an infrared (IR) camera system and a...

Multi-sensor measurement campaign at TNO-FEL test lanes in July 2002

In Jly 2002 a multi-sensor measurement campaign took place at the Test facility for landmine detection systems located af TNO-FEL, The Netherlønds. The goal of the campaign was top perform simultaneous data acquisition of GPR and polarimetric IR data under realistic environmental conditions. The data have beem collected over the sand and the...

Evaluation of concurrent thermal IR atmospheric propagation and aerosol particle size distribution measurements at Gotland, Sweden

Measurements of spectrally resolved (2-14 pm) thermal infrared atmospheric transmission were made at the Swedish

Scintillation measurements during the EOPACE Novenber '96 and August '97 campaigns

Following scintillation experiments during EOPACE measurement campaigns in the spring of 1996, a new set of experiments was designed in November 1996 and August/September 1997 over San Diego Bay. The main purpose was to further investigate the discrepancy between measured scintillation data and values predicted from turbulence models. One simple...

Long-range transmission at low elevations over the ocean

Results are presented from infrared transmission measurements over long ranges at low elevation in coastal waters. This work was part of the EOPACE programme, conducted at two locations along the US West Coast. In this programme data were collected for validation of atmospheric models, used to predict IR sensor performances Details are given on...

Low Elevation Transmission Measurements at EOPACE Part I: Molecular and Aerosol Effects

An analysis is presented showing the effects of molecules and aerosols on atmospheric transmission data obtained during the Electro-Optical Propagation Assessment in Coastal Environments (EOPACE) campaign carried out in San Diego during March and April, 1996. Mid wave infrared transmission was measured over San Diego Bay along a 14.9 km path and...

Comparison of MAPTIP FLIR Detection Ranges to the EOTDA Prediction Model

The 1993 marine aerosol properties and thermal imager performance (MAPTIP) exercise conducted in the North Sea off the Dutch coast provided data for evaluating the electro- optical tactical decision aid Mark III (EOTDA) in a littoral environment. The EOTDA is a strike-warfare planning tool that is installed in the Navy's tactical environmental...

Validation of a bulk turbulence model with therman images of a point source

A model was developed for the prediction of turbulence in the marine surface layer. The model requires standard meteorological values of air temperature, air humidity, wind speed each from any given height from within the surface layer and the sea surface temperature. Internally, the model is controlled by the exchange coefficients for momentum,...