Application of erts imagery to geology in Afghanistan

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO DEMONSTRATE APPLICATION OF ERTS-1 DATA TO GEOLOGIC MAPPING AND ANALYSIS, AND TO TRAIN AFGHAN SCIENTISTS TO MAKE SUCH APPLICATIONS. ERTS-1 DATA WERE EMPLOYED IN AN EXPERIMENT IN MAP EDITING. THE GREATEST VALUE OF ERTS IMAGERY IN TECTONIC MAPPING IS ITS BROAD COVERAGE, WHICH ALLOWS A SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW. THE 40 ERTS FRAMES THAT COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY DISPLAY THE TECTONICS OF AFGHANISTAN MUCH BETTER THAN IT COULD BE DISPLAYED BY WORKING WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED PHOTOMOSAICS. AS FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION, THE USGS IS ENGAGED IN AN EFFORT TO DETECT IRON OXIDES BY COMPUTER PROCESSING OF ERTS DATA TAPES. IRON DEPOSITS OF THE HAJEGAK TYPE WOULD SEEM TO BE AN OBVIOUS TARGET. THE BASIC GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE, THE ARID CLIMATE, THE DIFFICULTIES OF FIELD WORK IN THE MORE REMOTE AREAS, AND THE CURRENT STAGE OF GEOLOGIC KNOWLEDGE MAKE AFGHANISTAN AN UNUSUALLY FAVORABLE COUNTRY FOR THE USE OF ERTS IN GEOLOGY. THE COUNTRY PROVIDES PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE USEFUL AS TEST STUDIES FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY NOW UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE USGS.