AN/PSS-14 mine detector performance on beaches and in the surf zone

摘要

Data collections were conducted using the AN/PSS-14 mine detector on three beach areas in Florida. A few samples of inert anti-tank (AT) and anti-personnel (AP) mines were buried at Jacksonville Beach, Cocoa Beach, and Clearwater Beach. The mines were buried in a variety of sand conditions varying from dry to saturated. The saturated sand conditions included the surf zone with up to two feet of water surge over the buried mine area. Test results indicate a good probability of detection (Pd) of all the buried mines by the AN/PSS-14 Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) and Metal Detector (MD), with a low false alarm rate. This paper will detail test conditions under which the mines were buried, soil dielectric and attenuation parameters measured versus water content in each condition, and interpretation of data in such highly attenuated (400-600 dB attenuation per meter) and extremely conductive soil. In addition, the theory of evanescent electromagnetic waves will be discussed in terms of the performance.