Hydrogeology of closed basins and deserts of South America, ERTS-1 interpretations

Images from the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) contain data useful in studies of hydrogeology, geomorphology, and paleoclimatology. Sixteen Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) images and 15 Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) images were studied. These covered deserts and semidesert areas in southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, northern Chile, and southeastern Peru from July 30 to November 17, 1972. During the first 3 months after launching, high-quality cloud-free imagery was obtained over approximately 90 percent of the region of interior drainage, or an area of 170,000 square miles.