J. Schubert uses a planetable alidade on a field project in the Alabama Hills area near Lone Pine, California. Mount Whitney is in the background (above the truck grill, to the right of the twin cones).

authorized dealers, and map information is available from offices in 37 States that are affiliated with the National Cartograhic Information Center. Information efforts during fiscal year 1984 were concentrated on further implementation of a modern product distribution system, improvement of existing public access offices and services, initiation of a public service announcement program, conversion of State map indexes to a booklet format, and sponsorship of a national tour for the map exhibit Maps and Minds.

In the area of product distribution, the existing computer-based system for inventory control was enhanced to include order processing and customer accounting features for the public sale and distribution of the various types of Survey maps and books. Telecommunication facilities linking the major Survey warehouses in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, and Denver, Colorado, to the host computer were upgraded to accommodate an increase in the number of terminals required to handle the thousands of orders received each year. The activities of the Public Inquiries Offices were expanded to meet the need of heightened public interest in earth science information. A new information and sales office was opened in Anchorage, Alaska; facilities and equipment in other offices were upgraded; and

intraoffice references were put on microcomputers.

The Public Inquiries Offices also made significant progress in applying the Earth Science Information Network to the dissemination of information. This network is a computer-based system that electronically links the Survey's information offices to various data bases. At present, the network provides access to data bases relating to geographic names, sources of water resources data, news releases of the Geological Survey, status of digital mapping, and bibliographies of geologic and water resources publications. In the future, the Public Inquiries Offices will be able to use the network technology to access information from many additional sources.

The Applications Assistance Facility, located at the National Space Technology Laboratories in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has put into operation an annex designed to provide greater capacity for its regularly scheduled cartographic and geographic workshops. The workshop facility contains eight surge-protected microcomputer workstations for hands-on digital demonstrations, a remote information processing system linked to the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a terminal with access to the Survey's

Earth Science Information Network. Ample work space is provided for 18 to 20 participants. An adjoining multimedia room with full video editing capacities adds to the effectiveness of the facility as a training-public awareness center. The new facility was inaugurated with a 3-day seminar on the new Geological Survey digital cartographic standards, which was attended by faculty and graduate students from six southern universities.

The Applications Assistance Facility, working closely with personnel from each of the field mapping centers, also coordinated a series of five workshops on modern mapping methods for the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. These workshops emphasized new digital cartographic techniques and introduced participants to the Survey's digital cartographic programs. A series of video training modules illustrating digital techniques was prepared to provide uniformity in presentations at different locations and to build a file of representative digital cartographic applications for use in workshops scheduled in other Federal Highway Administration regions during fiscal year 1985.

of

The Division initiated a program brief public service announcements focusing on maps and outdoor safety. An outdoor safety theme was chosen because nearly 1,000 people each year get lost in wilderness areas of national, parks and forests. Using the phrase, “Be safe, carry a map," a series of public

service announcements were sent to 15 nationally distributed outdoor and sports magazines. Within an 8-month period, more than 3,000 people responded to the published announcements and requested more information. The inquiries were answered with a brochure on how to use a topographic map, a State index of topographic maps, and a list of private map dealers in the inquirer's local area who could give additional information. On the basis of the success of this initial test, the Division plans to start testing public service announcements on radio and television next year and to expand distribution of the printed announcements. To show all of the various types of published topographic maps and

map

products on each State index (up to 30 different map and product lines for some States), the Division is converting its single-sheet map indexes to an index booklet and companion catalog for each State. The new multicolor indexes are designed so as not to need an annual updating; the preparation of the companion one-color catalogs is fully automated so they can be efficiently updated and reissued on an annual basis. When the conversion is fully completed in late 1985, the indexcatalog format for each State will help to keep the public and Federal, State, and local government agencies informed of newly published topographic maps and map products as they become available.

In cooperation with the National Geographic Society, the Survey sponsored a major exhibit, Maps and Minds, on the history of mapping from prehistoric times to the satellite age. The exhibit focuses on the Federal Government's role in American cartographic history and the role of mapping in the opening of the American West. The colorful 120-panel exhibit is a collection of more than 500 photographic images, with extensive text and captions. Maps and Minds is on a 10-site national tour, including stops at science and technology centers and museums in Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, St. Paul, Minnesota, Dallas, Texas, and San Francisco, California.

Research, Investigations, and Developments

INVESTIGATION AND ASSESSMENT OF AUTOMATED CARTOGRAPHIC CAPABILITY

For the past several years, the National Mapping Division has been involved in the process of collecting and processing cartographic data in digital form to support the development of a digital cartographic data base. The data base provides basic categories of data for computer-based information and management systems and also provides the framework to streamline the mapping process for preparing revised and derivative map products.

In a dry salt bed, J. Hanchett records while L. Lindahl uses electronic distance

measuring equipment

during field activities in the Saline Valley area,

California, near Death

Valley National Monument.

The working group reviewed current production procedures employed by the National Mapping Division in the manual production of these 1:50,000scale topographic maps, as well as the capabilities of private companies to support the production of these products using digital cartographic techniques.

Upon completion of the initial investigation, the work group determined that it was feasible for private industry to develop the procedures and software to support this production effort. A statement of work was prepared to cover the development and subsequent production of these products and was distributed to private contractors in February 1984. Proposals from interested contractors have been received and on-site demonstrations conducted.

AERIAL PROFILING OF TERRAIN SYSTEM

The Aerial Profiling of Terrain System, under development since 1974,

is a precision airborne surveying system capable of measuring elevation profiles across various types of terrain from a relatively light aircraft at flight heights of up to 3,000 feet above the ground. A laser profiler measures the distance from the aircraft to the terrain, an inertial measuring unit continuously monitors the aircraft's position, and a laser tracker updates the position by measuring distances to ground-based reflectors.

Performance evaluation flights were completed in June 1984 with the accumulation of 54 profiles at three different test sites. The data indicate the system does meet the design accuracies of +2 foot vertically and +2 feet horizontally when tracker updates are acquired at 3-minute intervals. Flight testing is now directed toward developing more efficient system operation and performing application tests for several different earth science programs.

RADAR STUDIES

In 1980, the Geological Survey began a Side-Looking Airborne Radar program as a result of the Congressional request to “begin the use of side-looking airborne radar imagery for topographic and geologic mapping, and geologic resource surveys in promising areas,

particularly in Alaska." Since the program began, more than 400,000 square miles of radar data have been acquired in the contiguous United States and Alaska for entry into the public domain, and approximately 150,000 square miles are planned for acquisition in fiscal year 1985. In addition, the Survey has supported over 60 studies addressing the geologic, hydrologic, cartographic, and engineering applications of this technology.

Side-looking airborne radar systems contain a transmitter that provides a pulse of microwave energy that is emitted from an antenna. The energy pulse travels to the ground, is reflected, and returns to a receiving antenna. This reflected energy then is collected

and used to make an image on film, analogous to the photographic process. Because imaging radar is an active sensor that provides its own source of illumination, imagery can be obtained through clouds and rain, day or night. Therefore, side-looking airborne radar can be used to prepare image-based maps of persistently cloud-covered areas where conventional aerial photography is very difficult to obtain.

High-resolution x-band (3-centimeter) imagery from both real- and syntheticaperture radar systems was acquired for selected areas of the Alaskan Peninsula. A set of several radar image products of the 1:250,000-scale Ugashik, Alaska, quadrangle is being prepared to provide comparative imagery between the two systems. The set includes four mosaics depicting real- and syntheticaperture imagery from four different look angles, radar image strips from both systems for stereo viewing, and one radar mosaic overprinted with information from the corresponding topographic map to serve as a shaded relief map with color tints to enhance land and timber areas. The set also will include descriptive text on the geology of the Ugashik area and on the principles of radar imaging.

The all-weather capability of radar also provided the opportunity to obtain cloud-free imagery of the Aleutian Arc in Alaska. The Survey recently published twelve 1:250,000-scale radar image mosaics of the Aleutian Islands. The mosaics were prepared by enlarg

ing and mosaicking the 1:400,000-scale radar image strips and matching the imagery to geodetic control points and map points on the corresponding 1:250,000-scale topographic maps. The topographic maps were published originally in the 1950's and classified as reconnaissance editions in recognition of the technology prevalent at that time. The radar mosaics are printed back-toback with the corresponding topographic maps, which are updated to show the latest feature names, township and range lines, and locations of offshore leasing tracts. The mosaics and topographic maps are also available separately.

The unique geometric characteristics of radar present certain problems in attempting to merge radar imagery with other image data, such as from Landsat. To better understand the geometry and registration problems inherent in radar data acquired at varying depression angles over steep terrain, a research project is underway to generate a shaded relief image from digital elevation model data processed to simulate the geometry of radar imagery using a variety of radar parameters. Part of the research will include registering digital elevation model data to radar data and correcting the radar image for major relief displacements. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT

Geographic information systems are emerging as a new tool for a wide range of scientific disciplines. These systems provide the capability to combine statistical and tabular data with map information from digital data bases. The power and speed of the computer then can be applied to manipulate and analyze these data. Techniques of computer graphics can be utilized to display the data and the results of the analyses. Geographic information systems provide rapid and powerful analytical techniques, combined with the ability to automatically produce the results on maps, and will be of major benefit to many users, especially natural resource planners and land managers.

The central role of map information in geographic information systems has led the National Mapping Division to under

take the development and application of these systems for diverse uses. Among the objectives of the present program are as follows:

• To ensure a high degree of diversity and flexibility in the Division's ability to handle, process, and analyze vector and raster formatted data to be responsive to a wide variety of Division, Bureau, and Department requirements.

• To maintain, improve, and utilize the Department's Map Overlay and Statistical System to support information requirements for resource management and planning. To define, develop, implement, and operate an integrated information system that can handle, process, and analyze data about land ownership and about mineral, energy, water, soil, forest, range, and wildlife resources on a national scale to support Department policy decisions.

• To provide leadership and coordination between Federal agencies and Department bureaus in development and application of digital cartographic data and geographic information systems.

REMOTE INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM

In 1980, the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center initiated development of a Remote Information Processing Station capable of generating a continuous-tone color display. The station was connected to a host minicomputer through a standard telephone line and was configured so that image processing software could be developed efficiently for stand-alone operation. Experimental software was written to demonstrate the system's unique capabilities. Highlights of the early project work included the design and assembly of three prototype units, development of a package of conversational applications software containing more than 40 image processing functions, and development of a prototype communications protocol with provisions

for image data compression and error detection-correction.

In early 1982, specifications were written for competitive procurement of 6 to 12 systems to be used in technique development, training, and applications project activities. Later, the total number of systems was increased to 18. In April 1983, a plan was drafted for the transition of the system from research to operational support. In January 1984, the first users conference was held for 30 users to exchange ideas, discuss applications, and make recommendations. By this time, the total number of systems in the field (prototype and operational) had increased to about 80.

Highlights of the transition project included acceptance, checkout, and installation of 11 systems at user sites; release of 69 applications programs, 100 support routines, and more than 500 pages of documentation; and definition of standard products and services.

In July 1984, software was released which included new routines for performing topographic analysis and display of digital elevation model data products. Also released was software for two-way file transfer of binary image data from the Remote Information Processing System to the VAX and HP3000 systems. With the increased emphasis on operational development, applications software is now beginning to appear from a larger user community which has learned to program the machine for specialized applications.

IMAGE MAP RESEARCH

The Survey has developed experimental image maps from the Landsat program at the 1:250,000 (from the multispectral scanner) and the 1:100,000 scale (from the Thematic Mapper). During 1984, this research was continued and resulted in two image products of the Washington, D.C., area, both derived from the Thematic Mapper. The first was a 1:100,000-scale map which utilized the blue (band 1), red (band 3), and near infrared (band 5) printed in yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively. The second product was the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) Color Combina