MTADS Magnetometer Survey of the Badlands Bombing Range, SD Impact Area. Combined Airborne, Vehicular, and Man-portable Survey, September 2002

摘要

In 1942 the Department of War annexed 341,725 acres of the Pine Ridge Reservation for use as an aerial gunnery and bombing range. From 1942 until 1948 various sections of this range were used for bombing exercises and air to ground operations. Since 1960, portions of the land have been returned to the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) in a step-wise fashion. In 1978, all remaining Badlands Bombing Range (BBR) lands were declared excess with the exception of 2,486 acres termed the Impact Area. In 1999 the Naval Research Laboratory, NRL, conducted a demonstration survey on the Badlands Bombing Range Impact Area using the Multi- sensor Towed Array Detection System (MTADS). Historical records indicated that 105-mm, 155-mm, and 8-in projectiles had been used on the site. During this survey, eight live 155-mm and seven live 8-in projectiles were recovered and destroyed but no 105-mms. In September 2001 NRL returned to the same area to conduct an Advanced Classification Demonstration with the vehicular MTADS on a 10-acre seeded site and a larger, 1685-acre, survey with the new airborne MTADS. Again, seven live 155-mm and four live 8-in projectiles were found and detonated. The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) and the Ellsworth Air Force Base Environmental Office have a dual interest in this site. First, they would like to be able to certify the site as clear of UXO to facilitate the excessing of the land from Government ownership. Second, they would like to determine if a combination man-portable, vehicular, and airborne survey can reliably and completely cover a site of varying topography such as the Impact Area. To further these goals, AFCEE and NRL jointly conducted a geophysical survey of the remaining 750 accessible acres of the Impact Area with the aim of finding all remaining 105-mm, 155-mm, and 8-in projectiles. The survey was conducted using the NRL MTADS airborne, vehicular, and man-portable magnetometer platforms from 16-28 Sep 2002.