Battlefield Dust and Atmospheric Characterization Measurements during West German Summertime Conditions in Support of Grafenwoehr Tests

Abstract

This report describes the results of an attempt to characterize the aerosol generated by 155 mm artillery projectile explosions by directly instrumenting the expected impact area. Cascade impactors, filter samplers and a particulate spectrometer were used to determine particulate composition and size distribution. From the resulting data which are presented here, calculation of mass loading and visible and infrared wavelength extinction were made and are included. These results are unique in that they show the effect of projectile explosions just a few feet away from the instrumentation with a time resolution of 1 second. Mass loadings as high as 2 gm/m were detected; extinction was not significantly wavelength dependent. The conclusion was that one can, as a practical matter, directly instrument the impact area during artillery barrage firings with an acceptable, though not trivial, risk to equipment. The test was conducted at an artillery training area near Grafenwoehr, Germany, in June 1979. A description of the meteorological situation is included. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1980
Accession Number
ADA094817

Entities

People

  • Andrew F. Lewis
  • James B. Gillespie
  • James D. Lindberg
  • Melvin Heaps
  • Radon B. Loveland

Organizations

  • Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artillery
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Command And Control
  • Explosions
  • Lasers
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Measurement
  • Meteorological Data
  • Meteorology
  • Military Research
  • Optical Properties
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Refractive Index
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Facilities
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
  • Explosive Engineering.