329 
leuro- 
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ing, Bonn 
EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL USES OF EARTH RESOURCES 
TECHNOLOGY SATELLITE (ERTS-1) DATA. FOR SMALL SCALE 
TERRAIN MAPPING IN CANADA'S NORTH 
A.N. Boydell 
Geological Survey of Canada 
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ABSTRACT 
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Preparation of pre-field program maps for terrain mapping in Canada*s 
north requires large amounts of time spent in conventional airphoto 
analysis. Multispectral analysis of ERTS-1 data provides a potent 
ially more rapid and relatively accurate alternative. Training sets 
for automated terrain classification were devised using the Bendix 
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Multispectral Analyzer Display unit, for an area near Pelly Bay, 
N.W.T. A map of the distribution of surficial deposits was compiled 
from field checking and compared to the ERTS map. There was good 
agreement, generally, between both the boundaries of the terrain 
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units and the materials, except where they were confused by vegetat 
ion differences. Reclassification of the ERTS map, using the ground 
data, permittee separation of the vegetated surficial deposits on 
the basis of differences in their related plant communities. 
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Results indicate that automated classification of ERTS data is a 
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useful means of generating preliminary terrain maps for use in a 
field checking program. This conclusion is subject to the provision 
that only a small area was examined and that further research is 
required to test the validity of the technique, and its application 
in other parts of the Canadian Arctic. 
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INTRODUCTION 
Techniques of analysis of ERTS-1 data commonly fall into 
two broad classes: those which are concerned with the visual inter 
noff 
pretation of photographic imagery derived from multispectra 1 data, 
and those which use automated methods for multispectra 1 analysis. 
Among the projects of the Terrain Sciences Division of 
the Geological Survey of Canada are several concerned with the small 
scale mapping of land forms, deposits, and permafrost phenomena in 
the Canadian Arctic. These are part of an ongoing, systematic map 
ping program of the Division and are designed to provide a geologic 
al data base for land use planning and various aspects of engineering 
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construction in the north. Preparation for projects of this type 
requires the compilation of preliminary terrain maps for use in the 
field checking program, from large numbers of high altitude air 
photographs. 
OBJECTIVES 
The principal objective of this evaluation was to deter 
mine the extent to which a pre-field program terrain map of an area 
of the Arctic could be produced by rapid and relatively accurate