SLR RECONNAISSANCE OF PANAMA

SLR (Side‐Looking Radar) was used in lieu of optical photography for reconnaissance of the Darien Province of Panama and parts of Northwest Colombia, and for the construction of geoscience products thereof. An AN/APQ‐97 side‐looking radar was used to produce high‐resolution imagery of an area containing approximately 6600 sq mi in 4 hours flying time—an area, furthermore, that is almost perpetually cloud covered. The SLR imagery was used to prepare an uncontrolled mosaic and a series of geoscience overlays, including: 1. surface drainage 2. surface configuration 3. vegetation 4. engineering geology. This study provides a complete overview of Darien Province and demonstrates the capability of SLR to gather geoscience data in an area that is notorious for the difficulties that its persistent cloud cover poses for the acquisition of usable, optical, aerial photography.