FM 34-81-1: Battlefield Weather Effects
APPENDIX G
WEATHER EFFECTS ON ENGINEERS
Engineer operations are influenced by past, current and future weather conditions. The interaction of weather with terrain produces a greater impact on engineer operations than previously understood. A source of help in identifying weather and terrain impacts is the terrain analyst team at division. Below are some weather effects on engineer operations that are not contained in the WTDA tables.
CLOUDS AND SKY COVER. Low clouds can limit the effectiveness of aerial illumination devices.
FREEZE AND THAW DEPTH. The frost line impacts site selection, construction, excavation, and trafficability.
HUMIDITY. Extreme humidities affect handling, storage, and use of building materials. When coupled with high temperatures, humidity affects personnel and significantly increases the time to perform physical work.
ILLUMINATION. Optimum use of most NVD requires about a quarter (23 percent) of the moon, 30 degrees above the horizon, scattered clouds, and the sun more than 15 degrees below the horizon. See Appendix F for further information on E-O devices.
PRECIPITATION. High rainfall rates influence river currents, water depth, and bridging operations. It complicates other construction or maintenance jobs, affects flooding, rivercrossings, soil bearing strength, and explosives.
SNOW DEPTH. Snow affects site selection, construction, and flood prediction.
STATE-OF-THE-GROUND. Ground conditions impact mining operations, trenching, and any excavation job. Snow cover can impact the emplacement of scatterable mines.
SURFACE WINDS. Ground level winds affect river crossings, port management, and all watercraft. Construction projects in chronic wind areas may need to recalculate structural strength figures.
TEMPERATURE. High temperatures impact trafficability, influence flood control, and dictate the use of certain construction materials. Cold weather influences ice thickness and river crossings, Ice flow problems affect bridges. For example, armored vehicle launched bridges (AVLBs) are affected by warming if they were set up on frozen ground. Alternating freezing and thawing (frost heaves) may destroy the effectiveness of emplaced mines.
THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING. Electrical storms, and the associated rain and wind, affect electronic systems in general and antennas, shelters, and mobility in particular.
SEA STATE. This condition affects site selection and the operations of port and beach facilities.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
