Application of remote sensing methods in geological mapping

Aerial photographs are a source of geological information that may be unobtainable elsewhere. If the fullest use is to be made of this information for the purpose of geological mapping, there must be a planned integration of the photogeological work with the field and laboratory investigations. The appearance of the first satellites for civil purposes on the beginning of the 1970s (such as ERTS – Landsat series), of most land areas of the Earth has provided new opportunity for photogeologists. Many areas can now be studied and mapped geologically for which neither adequate maps nor vertical aerial photograps were available. The advantages of the present satellite systems and examples of their application by specialists of the Polish Geological Institute are presented in this paper. Nowadays, it is practically impossible to imagine performing geological mapping without application of remote sensing data and analysis. Development of new technologies is very fast and new borne techniques are coming like permanent scatter interferometry, laser scanning etc. However, we should always remember, that they are only very useful tools to help geologists in their field mapping art and practise.