Comparing Optical Turbulence Using a Pair of Sonic Anemometers

Turbulence is regarded as one of the most deleterious effects on imaging systems. The CSIR have an optical test facility, used to test image quality of surveillance systems, however, the temporal distribution of the near field turbulence is unknown. Here, we deploy a pair of ultrasonic anemometers in the vicinity of the optical field test facility and we measure the wind speed of the airflow. We explain how to extract all the parameters from the real-world data and we calculate turbulence. Lastly, we will present results and indicate the limitations that atmospheric turbulence may contribute towards degrading the quality of images from imaging systems. Keywords— Atmospheric turbulence, optical surveillance systems, sonic anemometer.