Mobility Environmental Research Study : a Quantitative Method for Describing Terrain for Ground Mobility. Volume III, Surface Geometry

Mobility Environmental Research Study : a Quantitative Method for Describing Terrain for Ground Mobility. Volume III, Surface Geometry Dornbusch, William K.; Mobility and Environmental Systems Laboratory (U.S.) This volume presents the methods used to collect, tabulate, and analyze basic data on the surf ace geometry of selected areas in Thailand. The descriptions of surface geometry features are so designed that the descriptive values can be used directly as input to an analytical model for predicting the cross-country speed of selected military vehicles. A method for classifying, interpreting, and mapping surface geometry factors from aerial photographs (air photos) was developed. Utilizing the field data collected and the air-photo interpretation methods developed, 25 surf ace geometry factor-family maps were prepared, together covering six selected study areas (Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Chiang Mai, Fran Buri, Khon Kaen, and Chanthaburi). These maps are presented in Volume VIII of this report. Air-photo interpretation methods for predicting and mapping surface geometry factors were largely successful. However, the degree of accuracy achieved for each of these factors varied considerably, being a function of the scale, quality, and vintage of the existing photography. It is recommended that studies be continued to develop air-photo interpretation techniques to improve the reliability of estimation of surface geometry factor values. Technical Report