Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey 1995 Because photographs and images taken from the air or from space are acquired without direct contact with the ground, they are referred to as remotely sensed images. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has used remote sensing from the early years of the 20th century to support earth science studies and for mapping purposes. application/pdf 10.3133/70045325 en U.S. Geological Survey Aerial photographs and satellite images reports