Full text: Resource and environmental monitoring

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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 
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