Terrain (from Latin : terra 'earth'), alternatively relief or topographical relief , is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land . In physical geography , terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation , slope , and orientation of terrain features. Terrain affects surface water flow and distribution. Over a large area, it can affect weather and climate patterns. Bathymetry is the study of underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level .
27-712: The Military Engineering Experimental Establishment ( MEXE ) was a British defence research unit. It was formed from the Experimental Bridging Establishment in 1946 and was amalgamated with the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment to form the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment in 1970. MEXE developed the MEXE method (a means of assessing the carrying capacity of arch bridges ),
54-419: A 1:50,000 scale map. Similar facets were grouped into recurring landscape patterns whilst anomalous parts of facets were split off as subfacets . This became known as the MEXE system and allows detailed terrain intelligence to be extrapolated from similar terrain in the region and provided to the commander on the ground. The system was implemented at a wide variety of scales from theatre and army corps (where
81-437: A regular grid", is essentially an indication of the ruggedness or relative height of the terrain. Geomorphology is in large part the study of the formation of terrain or topography. Terrain is formed by concurrent processes operating on the underlying geological structures over geological time : Tectonic processes such as orogenies and uplifts cause land to be elevated, whereas erosional and weathering processes wear
108-569: A terrain or curvatures at each location. These measures can also be used to derive hydrological parameters that reflect flow/erosion processes. Climatic parameters are based on the modelling of solar radiation or air flow. Land surface objects, or landforms , are definite physical objects (lines, points, areas) that differ from the surrounding objects. The most typical examples airlines of watersheds , stream patterns, ridges , break-lines , pools or borders of specific landforms. A digital elevation model (DEM) or digital surface model (DSM)
135-511: Is a piece of equipment developed by MEXE to estimate the California bearing ratio (CBR) of a subgrade (soil) in the field. It is a pointed cone attached to a spring-loaded handle by extension spindles. The device is pushed into the ground and a scale reads off the estimated CBR value. It is a quick and simple means of estimating the CBR of the top 0.5 metres of subgrade but is less accurate than
162-524: Is continuously evolving. Surveillance and Target Acquisition units of the British Army used light, prefabricated MEXE modular shelters to set up secure underground hides in what was known as the stay-behind role during the Cold-War . These MEXE shelters consisted of pickets, spacers, and arches and PVC-coated jute fabric with a wire mesh woven in as walls as well as to hold the soil used to create
189-420: Is critical for many reasons: Relief (or local relief ) refers specifically to the quantitative measurement of vertical elevation change in a landscape . It is the difference between maximum and minimum elevations within a given area, usually of limited extent. A relief can be described qualitatively, such as a " low relief " or " high relief " plain or upland . The relief of a landscape can change with
216-467: The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency followed on 1 April 1995 before a split into the publicly owned Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the privatised QinetiQ in 2001. The organisation worked to develop and test new techniques and equipment for use in the British Army. The latter including bridges, rafts, cranes, earthmoving equipment and road pavers. On 6 May 1969 MEXE
243-470: The Second World War the establishment developed the MEXE method as a means of quickly assessing the carrying capacity of arch bridges , particularly for military traffic. The method was developed by Alfred Pippard of Imperial College, London . The bridge's span, arch thickness and depth of fill were input into an equation or nomogram to determine a provisional acceptable axle loading. This
270-603: The 315 acre Chertsey site to Crest Nicholson and Morley Fund Management (part of CGNU ) for redevelopment in November 2003. They submitted a plan for up to 113,434 square metres of development in 2005, which was later reduced. It now forms the backlot of Longcross Studios and has plans for redevelopment as residential. 51°22′54″N 0°35′33″W / 51.38167°N 0.59250°W / 51.38167; -0.59250 Terrain The understanding of terrain
297-676: The Army Technical Support Agency (ATSA) in 1995, and finally the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) Chertsey from 2000 until 2005. The DLO and its predecessors were responsible for the support and testing of all British Army vehicles. During the 1980s, vehicle testing was carried out by a sub-contracted company who provided drivers to test a range of military vehicles ascertaining a range of requirements from their ability to move over rough terrain through to their tipping point. Qinetiq sold
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#1732784039203324-783: The FVPE and FVDE merged to create the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE). FVRDE and the Military Experimental Engineering Establishment (MEXE) at Christchurch amalgamated in 1970 to form the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment (MVEE). In 1984-5 Chertsey became the Vehicles Department of the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) as
351-587: The MEXE probe (a field tool to estimate the California bearing ratio of a soil) and the MEXE system (a means of estimating properties of a piece of unknown land by comparing it with known similar terrain). The Military Engineering Experimental Establishment had its roots in the Experimental Bridging Company of the Royal Engineers (RE), formed from the last un-disbanded battalion of First World War assault engineers, and under
378-893: The MVEE and the Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment (PERME) based at Waltham Abbey and Westcott , merged with RARDE Fort Halstead . In the wake of the ending of the Cold War, RARDE merged with other research establishments in April 1991 to form the Defence Research Agency (DRA), an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence . In turn, DRA became a division of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in 1995. The Chertsey and Christchurch sites were among those allocated to Qinetiq when DERA
405-998: The Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment (MWEE) in 1928. The MWEE was renamed the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment (MEE) in 1934 and in 1940 the MEE merged with elements of the Design Department at Woolwich to form the Department of Tank Design . In 1942 the DTD at Farnborough spawned the Fighting Vehicles Proving Establishment ( FVPE ), which moved to a new purpose-built camp in Chertsey on
432-612: The command of a British Army major. This unit developed into the Experimental Bridging Establishment of 1925 under an RE superintendent (from 1933 a chief superintendent). This was reformed into the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment (MEXE) on 22 March 1946 under a chief superintendent (brigadier) after 5 April 1956 the commander was referred to as director and was sometimes a civilian. MEXE
459-520: The facets might be tens of kilometres in size) down to the battalion level. At smaller scales there are increased difficulties in identifying all of the anomalies as sub-facets. The data provided ranges from assessments of how good-going the terrain is for travel to possible sources of building materials. A terrain forecast can be issued, similar to how weather forecasts are issued for aircrew. The method works well in stable ecosystems but struggles in developing countries and tropical climates where land use
486-431: The land away by smoothing and reducing topographic features. The relationship of erosion and tectonics rarely (if ever) reaches equilibrium. These processes are also codependent, however the full range of their interactions is still a topic of debate. Land surface parameters are quantitative measures of various morphometric properties of a surface. The most common examples are used to derive slope or aspect of
513-513: The more involved standard CBR test. Expertise is required where granular material is present in the soil. The use of the MEXE Probe can be dangerous where underground services are present. MEXE were pioneers in the field of terrain evaluation , where the terrain is assessed and categorised based on a number of characteristics. Areas were divided into facets of land broadly homogeneous in morphology , water regime and surface material from
540-562: The roof. Periscopes were used during the day and night-vision sights outside the shelter by four man teams in a two men on, two men off ‘hot bunk’ system. Light Mobile Diggers would ideally be used to dig the T-shaped hides quickly. Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment The Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment ( MVEE ) was a British defence research unit on Chobham Lane, Chertsey in Surrey. It
567-632: The site of the former RAF Chobham that was convenient for testing tanks on Chobham Heath . The Wheeled Vehicles Experimental Establishment (WVEE) was also formed out of the DTD in that year, and moved to Chertsey in 1943. In 1946 the DTD merged with WVEE to form the Fighting Vehicle Design Department (FVDD) at Chertsey alongside the FVPE. The FVDD was renamed the Fighting Vehicle Design Establishment (FVDE) in 1948. Four years later
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#1732784039203594-462: The size of the area over which it is measured, making the definition of the scale over which it is measured very important. Because it is related to the slope of surfaces within the area of interest and to the gradient of any streams present, the relief of a landscape is a useful metric in the study of the Earth's surface. Relief energy, which may be defined inter alia as "the maximum height range in
621-463: Was amalgamated with the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment on 1 April 1970 to form the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment based out of Chertsey , Surrey and Christchurch, Dorset and commanded by Brigadier RA Lindseell MC ADC. This was amalgamated further into the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment in the 1980s and then the Defence Research Agency on 1 April 1991. A further reorganization into
648-464: Was awarded the freedom of the borough of Christchurch. Whilst many regiments and corps of the army had been so honoured MEXE was the first experimental establishment to have received such. The organisation developed many new products and techniques for the army, many of which were named after itself – for example the MEXE pad vertical landing pad or the MEXEFLOTE pontoon. Shortly after the end of
675-653: Was broken up in 2001 with the intention that Qinetiq would be privatised, which happened in 2006. Technologies such as electric armour were retained within the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The research staff at Chertsey were joined by the Vehicles Branch of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) in 1972, which became the Vehicles and Weapons Branch in 1982,
702-502: Was responsible for many innovations in armoured vehicle design, including ceramic Chobham armour . The Admiralty's Landships Committee was created in 1915 to oversee the development of what would become known as tanks . In the same year, the Design Department was set up at the Royal Arsenal , Woolwich . The Tank and Tracked Transport Experiment Establishment (TTTEE) was formed at Farnborough in 1925, which in turn spawned
729-511: Was then modified by a number of additional factors to determine a maximum permissible loading, which could be used to assess which military vehicles could use the bridge. It was a quick and simple process but provided no assessment of the actual stresses or deflections of the bridge. It was later adapted to civilian use. The MEXE probe, also known as the Soil Assessment Cone Penetrometer or MEXE Cone Penetrometer,
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