Investigations of SPOT cartographic applications in the U.S. Geological Survey

The US Geological Survey has a longstanding commitment to the advancement of the technology and applications of remotely sensed data from civilian satellite systems. In the past, research based on satellite data was primarily directed toward natural resource and land use applications rather than cartographic applications. The availability of high-resolution, steroscopic data from the sensors on SPOT provides new opportunities for cartographic applications. The potential applications include production of satellite image and topographic maps, and generation of digital elevation data.