Changes in the infrared 8-1.2 μm soil signatures due to soil disturbances during mine burial

This paper examines the spectral signatures of disturbed and undisturbed soils that are associated with the deployment of landmines. An 8-12-μm low cost infrared imager (LCii) was used to collect spectral data at the DSTO mine detection facility. Two types of soils were under investigation, a poorly structured sandy soil and a clay based laterite soil. The study showed that soil mineral fractions at the dimensions of the clay particles were efficient scatterers of 8-12-μm wavelengths. The efficiency of these particles as scatterers was such that a disturbed laterite soil could avoid detection by the sensor. Disturbed soils, which were deficient in clay or organic fractions such as the sandy soil, were shown to be poor scatterers and did not mask the discrimination of themselves or the buried objects below them