Abstract

Technical and economic factors have led to acceptance and use of photogeology as an important tool for preliminary reconnaissance and certain detail work. Photo-geology remained for many years completely dependent upon capabilities of visible spectrum sensor systems composed of various camera, film and filter combinations. However, restricting data collection to visible spectrum wavelengths (0.4 to 0.76 microns) was not mandatory. Development and application of film and filters sensitive to near infrared energy, out to 1.35 microns, proved valuable additional information was available, when properly sought.

Near infrared sensing having proved useful, it is obvious that even more valuable geologic information should be available through data collection in the many other decades of wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Equipment more advanced than the classical aerial camera is required for this. Such equipmentf particularly for infrared and radar imaging devices, was developed and has been used successfully in contract operations for nearly two years. Images collected by these advanced sensors are presented and include examples of sub-surface and sub-vegetation geologic structure, ground water patterns, geothermal deposits, stream and current thermal and sediment transport patterns and buried pipelines. This imagery, while significant for reconnaissance, is indicative of the value of advanced multisensing for production problems such as thermal flooding and pipeline maintenance.

A special capability of these advanced sensors is their high mobility and near independence from time-of-day and meteorological conditions.