ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aerial photograph interpretation (geology)

Have you ever looked at a map and seen pictures of the land from really high up in the sky? That’s what aerial photographs are! They help us see what the Earth looks like from above, just like how we see our toys or buildings from our bedrooms upstairs.

Aerial photograph interpretation in geology means that we use these pictures to learn about the Earth's surface. We can use these pictures to figure out what the land is made of, see where rivers or mountains are, and even figure out where there might be oil or minerals hiding underground.

Just like when you look at a map and see different colors, we can use colors in aerial photographs to help us understand what we are seeing. For example, we might see brown colors which tell us that the land is bare dirt, green colors which tell us that there are lots of plants or trees, and blue colors which tell us that there is water there.

Scientists who study geology can use aerial photographs to help them make maps of the Earth's surface. They can use this information to figure out how old rocks are, learn about natural hazards like earthquakes or volcanoes, and even find where people should build their homes or businesses.

So, aerial photograph interpretation in geology is like taking really cool pictures from way up high to help us learn about the Earth's surface and the things hiding beneath it.