Terrain Background Signature Research
Abstract
This report presents a summary of the multispectral terrain background signature models and battlefield aids that have been developed at the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station as part of a target reconnaissance and surveillance program and as part of a camouflage improvement and evaluation program. A thermal infrared signature model for rough terrain is presented which calculates the surface brightness temperature in terms of local weather conditions, type of terrain texture, thermodynamic parameters of the soil and vegetation, and the root-mean-square height and correlation length of the rough terrain surface. Radar wave and laser light-scattering models have been developed for rough terrain surfaces. These models predict the scattering cross section, bidirectional reflectance, and depolarizability for realistic terrain surfaces in terms of surface roughness parameters, average dielectric constant, and the root-mean-square and correlation length of the random dielectric medium that is used to model the volume scattering from terrain backgrounds. The predicted background signatures are used to develop battlefield aids that include the Regional Thermal Radiance Map, the Regional Radar Scattering Map, and the Regional Laser Reflectance Map, which use color codes to display the thermal and electromagnetic characteristics of potential battlefield areas. Finally, an infrared scene generator is developed which creates a synthetic infrared image of a target located in a three-dimensional terrain background.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA257917
Entities
People
- David L. Meeker
- Randy K. Scoggins
- Richard A. Weiss