Geoinformatics is characterized as a multidiscplinary field in geology and information science. The main projects in geoinformatics are as follows ; (1) developing the database systems for the steady growing geological fact-data and papers in size and complexity, and (2) constructing the knowledge-bases and program packages which are concerned with various aspects of information collecting, processing, presenting, storage and retrieval, communicating and utilizing geological data. The infrastructure resulted from the projects will support a broad spectrum of topics such as design of applications for automated measurement system, 2-D/3-D computer graphics, geological mapping, artificial intelligent, and so on. Furthermore, geoinformatics can take various functions as a interface between a long-established past oriented geology and a newly developing future oriented geology. The author shows some developing steps and a future view of geoinformatics in Japan through the late 20th century to the early 21st century.

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Analyses in geologic remote sensing can be categorized into two approaches; one is spatial pattern analysis and the other is spectral pattern analysis. The former is represented by conventional photogeologic interpretation. As it is very difficult to perform automatic spatial pattern analysis by using computers at the moment, most efforts have been concentrated on providing imagery which can be easily interpreted by an interpreter. In spectral analysis, importance of conversion from DN's to physical units, and atmospheric correction have been emphasized these days. As the number of spectral bands areincreasing dramatically, it is becoming possible to identify surface materials using spectral patterns obtained by a remote sensor. In addition to these, three topics are introduced in this paper, i.e., on Japanese Earth Resources Satellite project, NASA's EOS project, and automatic identification of minerals by afield spectrometer.

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Various geologic informations from a well bore are very important and the key for petroleum explorations. Different kinds of approaches were made for setting up a database system for the geologic data from a well. Those are subdivided by two types; a domestic and an international types, which have independently been used due to the differences on quality, quantity and usage of the information. The international database is characterized by the large number of referenced wells, which contents are limited only to basic informations. On the contrary, the domestic one consists of full of informations which number of wells is limited. In the recent years, as explorations in overseas have become active, we can obtain the data in detail like the domestic style for the wells in the foreign countries. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop an integrated system which can handle both types of database.
A new database system, named“WORLDWELL”, is developed to cover demands described above.“WORLDWELL”is a relational database, referenced by the file of memory address so that we canminimize the time to search items and can save a memory space only for the existing data. It is also easyto add a new category of items into the system. Thus“WORLDWELL”has a structure of high flexibility. Another merit of this integration of domestic and international formats is to share application programs for both datasets. In addition, an interactive feature on the screen makes system user-friendly.
The database itself should evolve from the one merely arranging and storing the measured data to the highest version including the unmeasurable data that affect the exploration strategies for the area.“WORLDWELL”is a first step toward such“a strategic data base”.

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GEOLIS is a bibliographic database on literatures over the field of Earth Science in Japan. It contains about 30, 000 papers since 1986, and is now planned to include the data on preceding paper-published data. GEOLIS contains the papers concerning Japan or Japanese scientists, and mainly written in Japanese. Accordingly, there are some important problems in construction and utilization of GEOLIS, such as the representation of personal name or geographical name, which are discussed in this paper, also with keyword selection system of GEOLIS. GEOLIS is constructed by Geological Survey of Japan, and for the utilization of many scientists, its floppy disk based version are now on examination distribution.

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GEOLIS data FD is a floppy disk version of GEOLIS (Geological Literature Search System) and is distributed without cost for scientific use by Geological Survey of Japan. This article describes the development process of relational database from GEOLIS data FD on MS-DOS based personal computer. Japanese Version of‘Unify’is used for constructing the relational database. Tools in Unify are used in the development process, instead of other programming languages. Main problems on development process are the normalization of data and the construction of logical conceptual scheme of database. This article discribes how these problems are solved.

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Fuzzy sets is applicable to process the ambiguity which arises in human recognition in the graphic pattern. To estimate applicability of Fuzzy sets in geology, four classification methods used in knowledge engineering are introduced to distinguish the rock samples collected in field. Values of classification factors, compared between a collected unknown specimen and each known sample, are shown in Table 1.
Main results obtained are as follows;
(1) Classification result of the collected unknown specimen is the same in all the four methods of Similar-prior Comparison, Fuzzy Pattern Classification, Elimination and Delphi.
(2) The grade of similarity of each rock sample to the collected specimen is different with every method of classification.
(3) Traces on classification is worth for more precise distinction.
(4) The method of Delphi to take account of other answers is available to get a reasonable result of classification. This procedure can be executed by computer using apparent certification factor.

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A geotechnical database possesses a mechanism for the storage and retrieval of many borehole logs which contain geologic columns and results obtained from diverse geotechnical tests. The structured database requires the application system which allows a rapid access to the data stored in the database, an immediate analysis of them and an easy visualization of the analytical results. We present the geotechnical database designed to run on a microcomputer, which is applicable to diverse purposes. In addition, several methods to reveal subsurface geologic structure and geotechnical properties from the database are proposed and examined with respect to: horizontal and vertical lithologic transitions; three-dimensional structure of key beds; modeling of the ground-water flow; and distribution of foundation strata based on N values. These methods are programed and systematized in the BASIC language.
The Kumamoto Plain, situated in central Kyushu, southwest Japan, is chosen as the subject area. The constructed database and the proposed analytical system using it are applied to the subsurface structural analysis of the plain. As a result, their usefulness is examined and assessed.

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The present paper described an outline of the elementary BASIC program training cource for undergraduate students at Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Osaka City University, and discussed some problems related to the computer education. It is necessary to prepare hardwares such as computer and training room. However, it is more important to enrich educational softwares; what and how to educate. In order to create efficient educational methods so that fill up a gap between geology and computer, it is necessary to research mathematical bases of geology as well as relationships between classical methods of data processing in geology and advanced techniques by compater, as a fundamental problem of “Geoinformatics”.

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A computerized image-processing system for fission-track dating (CIPS-FTD : Wadatsumi and Masumoto, 1984, Wadatsumiet al., 1988) has been developed. The CIPS-FTD consists of following five subsystems;
(1) A microscope system including a computer controlled mechanical stage.
(2) A TV camera system including a high resolution camera controller.
(3) An image-processing system including a real time A/D converter, video copy processors, an RGB monitor, and a digitizer for man-machine interface.
(4) An image database system by magneto optical disk units.
(5) A control computer system.
The main topics in this paper are the system configuration and some application examples to fission-trackdating method, which are (1) an automatic counting of tracks, (2) etching process analysis for evaluation of the optimum etching condition, and (3) measurement of the three-dimensional track-geometry.
The programs for the system control and the application are written in the MS-DOS BASIC languageusing the command sets of the image-processor.

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The computerization, which has made affordable to handle abundant data by a Personal Computer (PC), is now expanding its usage for several organizations to introduce geological ground data base system using such information as geological boring log.
The Geo-Research Institute, Osaka Soil Test Lab., has developed the geotechnical data base system for regional ground and geological information which is characterized as follows;
(1) To handle general geology ranging very soft soil condition to rock ground.
(2) To accept not only boring log information but also basic results of physical and mechanical results obtained by laboratory tests.
(3) To construct relational data base to establish effective and easy data handling system to analyse regional characteristics by comparison and extraction.
(4) To introduce hard independent environment to have more freedom under the present situation of the rapid change of the hard-ware system itself.
(5) To develope a local system (rather PC level of computer) for inputlng data, in addition to a host system (the larger sized computer) for handling the whole integrated information to obtain effective combination of various level of available computer resources.
The paper describes the general concept of the geotechnical data base system developed in Geo-Research Inst., and shows some results of regional ground characteristics in Osaka area as an example of output of thesystem developed.

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Geological, geochemical and geophysical data are always multi-dimensional. In conventional methods, however, a relation between only two properties are displayed on a 2-dimensional sheet. On the contrary, a computer system of interactive stereoscopy can display a relation among three parameters at the same time. The system consists of four subsystems of crystal structures, geological structures, geochemical data, and education of the stereographic projection. All subsystems are called from the menu of the system, and almost independent each other. In order to observe a 3-dimensional shape of an object, all subsystems have functions to change an optical angle, to turn a figure around three axes, to enlarge or reduce a figure, to shift a figure, and to change a legend. Using this system, students learn easily crystal structures, and principle of the stereographic projection. Exploration engineers understand a 3-dimensional structure of geology. A geochemical relation among three components are represented in a tetrahedron or a cube. Flow vectors and stress tensors are also displayedin a 3-dimensional space. It is expected, therefore, that the interactive stereoscopy should give many valuable suggestions in the geological, geochemical and geophysical discussions, to the exploration of mineral and energy resources, and to other scientific and technological fields.

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Computer aided sedimentary basin modeling system for petroleum exploration keeps on being gigantic. On the other hand, a compact and user-friendly modeling system is required to assist the huge computer simulation. MAT98 is a personal computer aided basin modeling system developed based on the widely used 16 bit personal computer. Examination of modeling conditions, one dimensional and pseudo-two dimensional (lateral heat transfar is not considered) reconstructions of burial and thermal histories, and the numerical analysis of hydrocarbon generation from kerogen can be carried out by MAT98. The evaluation of the present heat flow based on limited subsurface temperatures and the activation energy distribution of petroleum generation from kerogen can easily be performed in MAT98. Calibration of burial and thermal histories can be examined based on the fast and new kinetic modeling methods of vitrinite reflectance and sterane epimerization (or other 1st order kinetic parameter) . The design of petroleum generation model in MAT98 is flexible, and several generation models can be easily designed by the user. Current knowledge of maturity modeling is well reflected in MAT98. User-friendly MAT98 not only makes it easy to determine complicated basic modeling conditions for the extensive and huge computer simulation but also functions as an interactive tool to assist our thoughts on basin modeling.

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