to the topography variability, which is an indicator of the geo- 
logical structure, and capability of mapping geological objects 
with different thermal inertia, which are, primarely, objects 
with higher moisture content, such as fault zones, tectonic con- 
tacts, buried river beds etc. The application of thermal images 
to the identification of linear and ring tectonic structures of 
various orders in zones of weakness is highly promising, because 
the latter are characterized by intense groundwater circulation 
and high thermal inertia and are exhibited by negative anomalies. 
Previously unknown features of the structural-tectonic pattern 
have been revealed from small scale thermal images (1:100 000 and 
smaller) due to the generalization of a thermal field image. 
The efficient application of thermal aerial photographs to 
hydrogeological mapping and land reclamation and irrigation pro- 
jects is due to their high moisture sensitivity. 
On thermal images, areas of different moisture content and 
newly irrigated fields in particular as well as sites of water 
leakage from irrigation channels are well observed. Such informa- 
tion cannot be obtained from aerial photographs. 
Infrared images permit to distinguish streams of different 
temperature in aqueous medium. It is, actually, the only method 
of registration of the real picture of hydrothermodynamic process- 
es. Experimental data proving great capabilities of the thermal 
technique have been obtained in the course of the study of water 
resources, i.e. data on groundwater discharge sites, routs of mig- 
ration of industrial disposals, mapping of different temperature 
currents in seas, rivers and shellow water areas. The latter are 
very important for the study of processes of the formation of ore 
and oil deposits in the shelf. | 
When interpreting thermal images, the main problem is associ- 
ated with the inadequate knowledge of diurnal and seasonal tempe- 
rature contrasts of objects of the Earth's surface and their rela - 
tion to thermophysical characteristics. It will be the subject of 
investigations in the nearest future. 
In recent 10-15 years, multispectral scanning has been broad- 
ly applied. The method provides information on the reflectivity 
by natural objects in narrow spectral bands (20-40 nm) with errors 
of 1 to 3 percent in the wide spectral region (0.35-14.0 gym). 
The, rather high angular resolution (1-2 m/rad.) and effective me- 
thods of prevention and correction of geometric distortions make 
the quality of obtained images similar to that of aerial photo- 
graphs. 
  
Multispectral scanner data may be registered in analog and 
digital forms. 
The analog data registration is characterized by higher den- 
sity than digital one. However, digital data are more precise, 
noise-resistant and computer-compatible, what makes it possible 
to employ mathematical methods and the theory of pattern recogni- 
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