Joint Geosat-NASA/JPL Test Case Program: field evaluation of future geological satellite remote-sensing systems
The principal industrial users of land-observation satellite systems are several hundred oil and gas, mining, and engineering or environmental companies worldwide. The primary system used is Landsat/MSS (Multispectral Scanner), the data from which are now used operationally as an improved geologic mapping tool to help direct more expensive geophysical surveying and drilling, thus assisting exploration decision making. Use is also made of SKYLAB photography, SEASAT and SIR-A (Shuttle Imaging Radar) radar, and the new Landsat/TM (Thematic Mapper) data. Industrial use will soon be made of data from France's SPOT (1985), India's IRS (1986), the European Space Agency's ERS (1987), Canada's RADARSAT (1990), and Japan's JERS (1991) remote-sensing satellites. Data representing these systems were evaluated during the 7-yr, $10 million joint Geosat Committee-NASA/JPL Test Case Program. Begun in 1977, the objective of this program was to assess, in known geologic areas, the value of existing and potential satellite remote-sensing methods for petroleum exploration, mineral exploration, and engineering geology applications. The published study includes an evaluation of sensors, data-processing techniques, and interpretation methods. Some conclusions include the following. The Landsat/TM combines the visible and very near Infrared (IR) spectral bands of the MSS, with the shortwave IR 1.6-2.2 ..mu..m band region, which can indicate the presence of clays, carbonates, and sulfates. This system allows greater rock and soil discrimination than the MSS alone. Similarly, the TM bands demonstrate numerous, as yet little understood, geobotanical anomalies clearly related to leaking gas over oil and gas deposits.
- Research Organization:
- Geosat Committee, Inc., San Francisco, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5782366
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-850322-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 69:2; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, 25 Mar 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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