Variations of apparent target position due to refraction

Dirk Seiffer; Karin Stein

doi:10.1117/12.629574

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Abstract

The performance of Electro-Optical systems operating within the marine boundary layer is severely influenced by atmospheric conditions. Vertical temperature and humidity gradients lead to refraction and turbulence effects. Refraction causes focusing and defocusing of rays, detection range limitations, mirage formation and angular deviation. Associated with the VAMPIRA (Validation Measurement on Propagation in the IR and Radar) experiment, we made investigations on the apparent elevations of point targets. The location of the trial was at the coast line of the Baltic Sea, overlooking a bay. An IR camera system was fixed on a pier at an altitude of 6.5 m. The camera continuously recorded a series of lights 8.2 km away at the other side of the bay. With these recordings we obtained 24-hours-observations of refraction effects due to changing weather conditions. In addition to the VAMPIRA measurements a similar experiment was performed in tropical waters. First results of this trial are given here. Aim of this paper is to discuss and analyse the measured elevations and compare them to the propagation model IRBLEM (IR Boundary Layer Effects Model by DRDC, Canada).

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Dirk Seiffer and Karin Stein "Variations of apparent target position due to refraction", Proc. SPIE 5981, Optics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems VIII, 598108 (13 October 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.629574; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.629574

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