Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Research Group

UXO refers to relatively large munitions such as shell and other projectiles that did not explode upon impact and remain buried in the ground. They occur on or near the ground surface and can detonate when disturbed accidentally. Consequently, UXO poses a significant hazard to public safety in many parts of the world. Main sources of UXO are armed conflicts in numerous regions throughout the globe as well as firing and training exercises at military ranges. It is estimated that nearly 11 million acres of land in the United States is contaminated with UXO, which is equivalent to Vermont and New Hampshire combined. The cost of clearance is estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars.

Geophysical methods, especially electromagnetic induction and magnetics, have proven to be important tools in UXO clearance because of their effectiveness in detecting the presence of buried metallic objects from surveys conducted on the surface. It remains a great challenge, however, to discriminate between UXO and benign objects such as fragments and waste metals. Increased discrimination capability will reduce the false alarm rate and ultimately decrease the cost of remediation.


Our research on UXO detection and discrimination covers a wide range of topics while focusing on the need for improved discrimination. Some of our main projects include:

     

  • (1) Advanced UXO detection & discrimination using magnetic data based on extended Euler deconvolution and shape identification through multipole moments

    • This is a collaborative project with with Sky Research and focuses on development of new technologies for detection and discrimination of UXO in varying magnetic environments using magnetic method. The goal is to develop a complementary set of procedures for: first, identifying all potential UXO targets within a host geology of varying magnetic anomalies; and, second to utilize the assymetry information contained within the higher order magnetic moments as a means of discriminating between UXO and scrap.

  • (2) Enhancement of magnetic data by stable downward continuation for UXO applications

    • This project focuses on developing a robust algorithm for stable downward continuation of magnetic deata acquired at some height above the ground to reconstruct the magnetic data with a higher resolution at the ground surface, and also to characterize the noise in ground-based and airborne data.

  • (3) Enhancement of TEM data and noise characterization by Principal Component Analysis

    • This is a collaborative project with UBC-Geophysical Inversion Facility and it focuses on developing a practical algorithm that will enhance the signal in transient electromagnetic data for UXO applications. The intention is to develop a de-noising algorithm that not only removes random, uncorrelated noise, but also studies the feasibility of separating the signals due to various sources through principal component analysis.

  • (4) On-time 3D time-domain EM and Tensor magnetic gradiometry for UXO detection and discrimination
    • This is a collaborative project with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and focuses on development of new instruments that acquire complementary data using both EM induction and static magnetics. The goal is to produce a new generation of sensors that have the potential for simultaneously determining the size, conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility of a buried metallic target and thereby provide the crucial geometrical and physical parameters for discrimination.


  • (5) Inversion-based statistical methods for UXO discrimination
    • This project examines the statistical properties of multiple parameters of buried metallic objects obtained from inversion of EM induction and magnetic data. The results will be used to guide the development of statistical discrimination approaches based on available clearance data.


  • (6) Understanding remanent magnetization in UXO discrimination
    • The presence, or lack, of remanent magnetization in UXO and related metallic objects has emerged as an important diagnostic parameter in discrimination of UXO from other metallic objects such as fragments. This collaborative project with Sky Research, UBC-Geophysical Inversion Facility, and Gary Olhoeft at CSM aims to characterize the remanence in UXO items through laboratory and field work. As part of the project, the CSM team are developing a mobile spinner magnetometer capable of measuring the remanent magnetization of large UXOs.


  • (7) Improve UXO detection and discrimination in magnetic environments
    • One of the major impediments to effective discrimination is the presence of magnetic soils at UXO clearance sites. Responses of magnetic soil can severely distort or even mask the EM and magnetic signal of buried targets and lead to poor detection and discrimination capability. This is a joint project with the UBC-Geophysical Inversion Facility, Sky Research, and New Mexico Tech. The goal is to study the spatial distribution and frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility of soil and its effect on sensor data, and to develop methods for separating the effect of soil from geophysical data.


People in the UXO Group

Individuals in the UXO Group are also listed on our CGEM 'people' page with more information

Funding for the UXO Group provided by:



UXO course developed & taught by our group: GPGN 498/598

 

Local UXO test site developed near CSM

 


For more information on UXO and the need for improved remediation technologies, please visit our UXO background page