High-resolution satellite imagery is expected to use open-pit mine management as well as air photograph. Moreover, satellite imagery will be easier to get because new satellites are now planned to launch. Therefore, IKONOS imagery that took some quarries was investigated and its possibilities for mine management were examined. As a result, it is clarified that IKONOS resolution is enough to monitor mine such as operating process, dangerous parts in working face, tree planting condition and amount of drain. If an operator makes a DTM from satellite images, there will be more possibilities. The accurately modified DTM shows the working face by 3D graphics and operators can simulate a mining plan in 3D images through a HMD or HMP. In addition, DTM makes truck control possible. At present, only skillful engineers can make DTM, but mining operators have to make it themselves if they wish to use DTM flexibly. To realize DTM possibilities, it is necessary to arrange software for mining operators who have little remote-sensing knowledge.

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We updated the database JAFOV by adding about 1, 200 records, and improved its service system adopting WWW system. JAFOV is a database of fossil specimens of vertebrates possessed by Universities, Museums, and so forth in Japan. By the end of March in 2001, about 12, 400 specimens are recorded in JAFOV. We report the present situation of JAFOV especially on the records added in 2000 fiscal year (from April 2000 to March 2001). JAFOV has been served by an information retrieval system based on command system (not GUI) through the computer network among the universities in Japan. The way of service is the last generation system, and it is rather difficult to use for researchers not so familiar with computers. WWW was considered the best way for JAFOV service of next generation, and we have examined how JAFOV could be served by WWW through Internet. Consequently, we have developed the way of WWW service for JAFOV in this study. We also report the mechanism and WWW version JAFOV service.

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Gridding algorithm proposed by Shiono et al.(1987) is designed to determine the optimal geologic surface that minimizes the augmented objective function Q=J(smoothness)+α(penalty) * R(goodness of fit) based on an exterior penalty function method. The algorithm provides a powerful mean to make use of inequality and slope information as constraints of the surface. However, as the solution depends on the value of penalty and number of grid, a series of trial and error is required to find the most proper values for each set of data. We revised the Fortran program from a viewpoint of rationalization of trial and error. The revised program evaluates the smoothness of surface in a form of numerical integration and the goodness of fit in a form of residual mean of squares, and shows the smoothness of surface and the goodness of fit for each solution on the display. Through calculations for a sparsely distributed data, it is confirmed that the solution depends only on a value of penalty but not on number of grid as expected from the evaluation of smoothness. Through the examination of a densely distributed inequality data, we found that the revised program is efficient to find a proper value of penalty and number of grid.

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