How will a dust storm affect infrared sensors such as thermal imaging?
The situation: the good guys are attempting to infiltrate an enemy base, and cause mayhem either in person and/or by planting explosives and running away. They know there is a big dust storm on the way so they can time their infiltration for before, during, or after the storm. (This is for a roleplaying game plot I want to run "“ I'd like to give the players the option of planning when they want to arrive).
The context: the planet they are on is in the grip of a massive ice age, so dust storms are very much a thing. Summer arrives, glacial out-wash plains dry out, the wind picks up rock which has been ground into a fine powder by glaciers and hey presto "“ a dust storm.
The tech-level: assume it is a slightly shinier and more efficient version of now. No super-science or psionic powers.
The question: So what will all this dust do to the capabilities of any infrared imaging devices set up around the base to spot folks sneaking in? (You can assume the cameras are properly sealed to prevent dust getting inside them). I've read that firefighters use thermal imaging kit in smoke-filled buildings. Would such a thing work as well for outdoor cameras in a dust storm?
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/92362. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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