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Many soil physical and chemical properties interfere with landmine detection. Prior knowledge of these properties would improve detection technology selection and increase demining safety and efficiency. Developments in rapid mapping of these properties over wide areas is essential to meet military and economic constraints. Fusion of multiple detection technologies is also essential to overcome detection signal interferences. For these purposes, rapid mapping by use of remote sensing is being tested, starting with electrical conductivity mapping by radar remote sensing. Laboratory induced-polarization (IP) is also being tested to develop techniques to discriminate between electromagnetic signals from metallic particles in landmines and in soil, for regions with detection interference. Key physical models of soil are being developed for fusion of various landmine detection systems and to explain remote sensing responses to soil.
Radar satellite tests carried out over the Canadian Forces Base Suffield (CFBS; Alberta, Canada) in 2004 and 2005 indicated 10 areas for possible high clay content and electrical conductivity. Eight of these were validated by soil maps and Landsat clay images. Two had high organic content with physical characteristics not known at present. Studies on soil with fine-grained iron-oxide powder and on iron with varied degrees of corrosion show that spectral-IP is sensitive to iron or iron-oxides regardless of their state. Soil has layered structure consisting of various grain-size combinations, but its physical characteristics are significantly influenced by whether its clay content is above or below a critical clay content (15 to 25 %). Results of these tests are discussed in this paper with explanations using the soil physical model.
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