Role of environmental factors and mine geometry in thermal IR mine signatures

Thermal IR signatures of buried land mines are affected by various environmental conditions as well as the mine's composition, size and burial geometry. In this work we present quantitative relations for the effect of those factors on the signature's peak contrast and apparent diameter. We begin with a review of the relevant phenomena and the underlying physics. A three-dimensional simulation tool developed by the authors is used to simulate signatures for the case of a static water distribution. We discuss efforts to validate the model using experimental data collected at Fort A.P. Hill, VA. Using this simulation tool a variety of factors are considered, including soil water content, soil sand content, wind speed, mine diameter and mine burial depth.