• Development of orthophotomaps, which 

 combine photographic imagery with some of 

 the elements of a conventional topographic 

 map to provide better portrayal of certain 

 areas, such as large swamps and deserts 



• Applications of physics to heat and chemical 

 transport in water sufficient to make quantita- 

 tive predictions possible 



• Advancements in chemical and geophysical 

 analytical techniques, including geochrono- 

 metric, geothermometric, and geobarome- 

 tric, telluric, electromagnetic, and geomagnetic 

 studies 



• Development of analytical (computational) 

 methods of establishing geographic positions 

 and elevations by means of aerial photo- 

 graphs and computer programs 



• Development of an equilibrium-based under- 

 standing of major geochemical environments 

 in water 



• Development of statistical techniques applica- 

 ble to rainfall runoff, flood frequency, and 

 sediment transport 



• Environmental studies in geology as related to 

 man's modification of the Earth's surface (re- 

 source development, reactor siting, dam sit- 

 ing, and transportation) 



• Optometric research into the special condi- 

 tions and problems of drawings made from 

 stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs 



• Lunar and planetary geology and exploration 

 in cooperation with NASA 



• Development of methods to use Doppler sat- 

 ellite observations for rapid, highly accurate 

 surveys in remote areas, such as Antarctica 



• Development of methods to transmit effec- 

 tively earth science information to the user 

 community 



• Development of geophysical theory of inter- 

 nal stresses in rocks sufficient to describe the 

 mechanics of hydraulic fracturing 



• Development of methods of using multispec- 

 tral imagery from Landsat to solve many 

 problems in small-scale mapping and to pro- 

 vide consistent views of large areas of the 

 Earth's surface 



• Development of a theory explaining surging 

 and retreating of glaciers. 



Current and Future Research 

 Emphasis 



Current and near-future basic research in the 

 Geological Survey is expected to follow traditional 

 lines of inquiry, with special emphasis placed on: 



• Developing improved methods of assessing 



mineral and energy resources, including 

 geothermal resources 



• Improvement of the understanding of geody- 

 namics, the forces and processes from within 

 the Earth that affect crustal features, such as 

 the continental plates and the oceanic basins 



• Improving techniques of transmitting earth 

 science information to user groups 



• Improving methods of predicting and assess- 

 ing the occurrence and effects of geologic 

 hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanic erup- 

 tions, and landslides 



• Describing surface- and ground-water trans- 

 port of solutes 



• Describing dynamics of ecological systems, 

 especially with regard to estuaries 



• Developing interdisciplinary approaches to 

 the understanding of water quality, including 

 biological controls of heavy metals in sedi- 

 ment 



• Improving water-quality sensor technology 



• Developing an aerial profiling of terrain sys- 

 tem, to establish ground position with an ac- 

 curacy of 3 meters horizontally and 0.15 met- 

 ers vertically 



• Developing a digital cartographic data bank 

 for computer-controlled storage, processing, 

 and retrieval in various forms of the kinds of 

 information shown on general-purpose topo- 

 graphic, land-use, and land-cover maps 



• Determining Earth natural resources and 

 physical conditions using remote-sensing 

 techniques. 



Other areas of inquiry related to certain seg- 

 ments of the Geological Survey programs not pre- 

 sently funded include studies of cyclic changes in 

 climate, paleoclimate of ancient land areas, sto- 

 chastic hydrology, and the basic physical proper- 

 ties of water. 



Organization and Management of 

 Research Activities 



The scientific and regulatory missions of the 

 Geological Survey, all of which include basic re- 

 search, are carried on by five major organizational 

 units: 



• The Topographic Division produces maps de- 

 lineating the physical features of land areas in 

 the United States, its outlying areas, and Ant- 

 arctica and conducts research into advanced 

 mapping methods. The Division also collects 

 and distributes information on the availability 

 of aerial photographs and space images, maps 

 and charts, geodetic data, and related carto- 

 graphic information through its National Car- 

 tographic Information Center (NCIC). 



INTERIOR 129 



