Data from the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) are being used for cartographic, geologic, and other earth-science purposes by a large majority of the nations of the world. At present, the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is serving the data needs of 121 nations.

The cartographic qualities of the data from ERTS, especially those from the multispectral scanner (MSS), have exceeded pre-launch expectations. MSS data have been used to produce photomaps of parts of the United States that have root-mean-square positional errors of less than 150 m.

Structural geologic information has been obtained from Nimbus and later ERTS data. This information has led to revision of the metallogenic map of Alaska and is providing focus on potential locations of metallic ores in other areas of the Western Hemisphere. Tectolinear interpretations of ERTS-1 data, in conjunction with seismic epicentral data from other sources, may provide a new approach to defining hazardous areas as an aid in future development planning.

Recent work involving special processing of ERTS images of parts of the State of Nevada has led to a capability to detect and map areas of surface alteration.