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The efficiency of this technology lies in its sen
sitivity to differencies in surface moistening and elec
trical conduction, in "sculptural" quality of images and
gradations of tone contrast.
High productivity (above 1000 sq.krn per flight hour)
and low cost (several times lower than aerial photogra
phy) permits radar mapping of large territories.
To extract the maximum possible amount of valuable
geological and ecological information from aero/space
mapping data, a great number of methods has been deve
loped for digital and analogue processing of images.
The coherent technology of
remotely-controlledmapping da
ta processing facilitates plotting of angu
lar directivity patterns of linear image elements (rose-
-diagrams) , filtering of linear elements for certain
angles of bedding with the use of both linear element
diagrams and iso line charts. When conducting regional
studies, it allows to register deep faults and analyze
their kinematics, to reveal zones of hidden and open
faults, ore-bearing structural and material complexes,
to investigate zones of extended fissurization etc.
The technology provides practically alOO-times increase
in labour productivity due to high-speed parallel pro
cessing of huge two-dimentional data files avoiding one-
-by-one quantization of images and obtaining results
"at light speed".
A very promising trend in development of techno
logies for processing of aero/space data together with
sets of geological and geophysical information, invol
ving the knowledge and experience of geologists and na
tural scientists, is the design and use of expert sys
tems. One example of such expert systems designed for
forecasting of mineral deposits and for training of ge
ologists is the "PROSPECTOR” system developed in the
U.S.A. In spite of great advances in new techniques for
collection and processing of space information, the pos
sibilities of traditional aerial photography are far
from exhausted, many technological ideas still wait to
be realized. One way of such realization is the method
