inancing
c market
costs of
lead to a
ntial to
rally the
' budget
bject of
defined
es being
ling the
1 survey
ch value
| portion
irketable
ations at
ciety the
s will be
on to the
markets
e already
utomatic
ligibility
tive role
ity in the
Lors.
| actively
"d 1n this
sence of
C), the
precious
tion data
irces for
njunction
nery and
dition to
| activity
he public
of the
ation of
> sensing
for area
irces of
il logs of
ical and
state of a
shallow
the space
propriate
explanation of a special environmental state of a site calls for
the inclusion of mass data characterizing the surface processes
of a wider region in the form of images or densely sampled
2.3 Multi-disciplinarity, and the integrating role of the geology
The new term “compartmentalization” is often referred to
the scientific research activity of these days, meaning that it
broke up to narrow specific domains, that hardly interact with
each other and the development of these narrow domains of
scientific research activity has been speeded up. The other
characteristics of the modern times, that the problems to be
solved are more and more complex, they often have even a
global character. The coordination of the research activities of
the several "compartments" are referred to as multi-
disciplinarity gaining importance in solving the complex
problems of environmental protection, global climate change,
land use etc.
The science of geology can play a central role in this
coordination in the field of environmental and resource
management issues. It has an inherent methodology to integrate
the applied domains of numerous branches of knowledge as
research tools, such as geochemistry, geophysics, geo-statistics,
foto-geology etc. in the form of sub-domains of applied
geology. The formulation of the complex problem (projects,
programs), the unbiased selection of concurring methodologies
is the responsibility of the integrating science branch
representatives.
Multi-disciplinarity means also application of the inherent
professional relationships and links between the science
branches in the working relationship of different organizations,
institutions.
The geological processes, and data play important roles in a
surprisingly large number or activity areas. Not claiming
completeness: environmental geology, agro-geology,
hydrogeology, engineering geology, geochemistry, foto-geology,
applied geophysics, tectonics, geomorphology, mineralogy, etc.
- an incomplete list, that already may demonstrate the role of
geology.
The products of geological investigation and surveys have
still to be integrated with other branches of knowledge: the
three domains of the geomatics:
- the geographical/ georeferenced/geo-spatial information
systems (GIS),
- the photogrammetry, and
- the image processing
tend to be integrated within one great branch of science. The
practical side of this is the appearance of integrated software
packages expressing the needs for combining
- thematic maps (e.g. the geological information
characterizing the subsurface scenery of environmental
processes (geological model)) together with the basic
topographic maps;
2.4 Technological development
In the last 5-10 years an immense development of
technologies have taken place in the world as a result of which
we are experiencing the evolvement of new science branches
and quite new techniques. This necessitate the reevaluation of
institutional responsibilities and activities and marketing,
making great emphasis on the innovative actions.
Intemational Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII, Part 7, Budapest, 1998
thematic maps. Only the aerial sensor technique can meet the
mass data demand at an acceptable level of costs.
- the remote sensing images or images of aerial surveys
with different sensors, characterizing the actual state of the
environment, and the surface topography (ortophotos)
- the image processing (pixel classification) giving new
dimensions to the interpretation including geological mapping,
revealing contaminated sites etc.
Statistical information can be chosen as an additional layer
to be integrated with the former ones: probably the marketable
information products are a combination of data characterizing
the cultural activities (statistical data) and those characterize
the environmental state. .
An example will shed light to the said: the georeferenced
data of the industrial emission sites of dangerous pollutants
(statistical data) alone will say nothing about the actual risks of
each emission sites, nor the actual extent of the environmental
pollution. By combining, however the airborne ortophotos or
orto-images of special sensors (e.g. geophysical ones) and the
thematic map of environmental sensitivity of the area (a
synthesis of several geological interpretation) with the
statistical data, an attractive marketable product will be
produced, that can be used to design optimal routes for field
reconnaissance for filed checking to pollution sites, to design
an over-all action plan for remediation on the basis of true risk
and besides implies also the possibility for change detection
and monitoring the emission activity.
To produce marketable products of information, the
cooperation of a series of research institutes, state agencies,
private enterprises or individuals working in them is
inevitable.
Multidisciplinarity will, thus, result in forming consortia,
and ad hoc teams of individual researchers and technicians
grouping together to solve a specific problem.
Teaming up of individuals in a project (virtual teams) will
replace former formal necessity for institutional representation
in contracts. The institutions will ensure the infrastructure for
the research activity in the future and will only foster or
support innovative efforts.
As the members of consortia and virtual teams will tend to
belong to different ministries, and state agencies, the
information sharing and common database development will be
increasingly appreciated by the governmental leaders. This will
result in the decline of parallel development of database
services, and in considerable savings of budget financial
means. The obvious advantages of the joint utilization of the
same database will boost efforts to build metadatabase services
comprising efficient search and browse capabilities leading to
the establishment of clearinghouse nodes in a later phase of
established market of digital database services. The ultimate
goal 1s to introduce knowledge management methods.
- With the appearance of the digital data services on
Internet, the World Wide Web became one of the most
important marketing media. Easy access to all kinds of
information makes impossible hindering development.
Therefore, any delay in doing the necessary action in response
to the actual market situation will result in loosing market
597
