Detectors can be confused by high-metal soils and junk. In urban environments, fragments of destroyed buildings may hide them in rural environments, soil erosion may cover them or displace them. Mines may be placed by hand or scattered from airplanes, in regular or irregular patterns. Antitank mines are buried deeply while antipersonnel mines are usually within 6 inches of the surface. Deminers must cope with environments that include deserts, jungles, and urban environments. Land mines are found in about 60 countries. Common explosives used in land mines include TNT ( CĦ), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, O Some mines, referred to as minimum metal mines, are constructed with as little metal as possible – as little as 1 gram (0.035 oz) – to make them difficult to detect. The casing of blast mines may be made of metal, wood, or plastic. However, they are normally activated by tripwires that can extend up to 20 metres away from the mine, so tripwire detection is essential. Their size varies and they are mostly metal, so they are easily detected by metal detectors. A subtype of fragmentation mines called "bounding" mines are specifically designed to launch upward off the ground before detonating. Fragmentation mines are designed to explode outwards resulting in casualties as much as 100 metres away. They are usually cylindrical with a diameter of 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) and a height of 1.3–3.0 inches (3.3–7.6 cm). A weight between 4 and 24 pounds (1.8 and 10.9 kg), the weight of a small child, is usually enough to set one off. Blast mines are buried close to the surface and triggered by pressure. There are over 350 types, but they come in two main groups: blast and fragmentation. Īnti-personnel mines are designed to maim or kill soldiers. Anti-tank mines are designed to damage tanks or other vehicles they are usually larger and require at least 100 kilograms (220 lb) of force to trigger, so infantry will not set them off. There are two main categories of land mine: anti-tank and anti-personnel. In 2016, 78% of the casualties were suffered by civilians (42% by children), 20% by military and security personnel and 2% by deminers. Over 1999–2016, yearly casualties from landmines and unexploded ordnance have varied between 9,228 and 3,450. Injuries from IEDs are much more serious, but factory-built landmines are longer lasting and often more plentiful. Thus, the United Nations Mine Action Service includes mitigation of IEDs in its mission. In particular, most mines are factory-built, but the definition of landmine can include "artisanal" (improvised) mines. Land mines overlap with other categories of explosive devices, including unexploded ordnance (UXOs), booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Normally it is buried so only the prongs are exposed. Main article: Land mine PROM-1 bounding landmine. Once found, mines are generally defused or blown up with more explosives, but it is possible to destroy them with certain chemicals or extreme heat without making them explode. Explosives in landmines can also be detected directly using nuclear quadrupole resonance and neutron probes.ĭetection and removal of landmines is a dangerous activity, and personal protective equipment does not protect against all types of landmine. Bees, plants, and bacteria are also potentially useful. Animals such as rats and mongooses can safely move over a minefield and detect mines, and animals can also be used to screen air samples over potential minefields. Sensors have been developed to detect vapor leaking from landmines. Acoustic methods can sense the cavity created by mine casings. These include electromagnetic methods, one of which ( ground penetrating radar) has been employed in tandem with metal detectors. Mechanical devices such as flails and excavators are sometimes used to clear mines.Ī great variety of methods for detecting landmines have been studied. Specially trained dogs are also used to narrow down the search and verify that an area is cleared. By contrast, the goal of humanitarian demining is to remove all of the landmines to a given depth and make the land safe for human use. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. South Korean soldiers searching for land mines in Iraq A US soldier clears a mine using a grappling hook during trainingĭemining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. For the removal of naval mines, see Minesweeping. This article is about the removal of land mines.
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