Some geoscientists consider satellite imagery as having limited research potential due to their inability to elicit useful information. However, their lack of information extraction is often partly caused by a poor understanding of the importance of such parameters as illumination angle orwaveband selection. For the analysisof geological or geomorphological features in vegetated terrain, high-angle illumination imagery acquired between March and October reveals little information. However, low-angle illumination imagery (<10o solar elevation) obtained in December clearly displays many geomorphological and geological structures not apparent at a higher sun angle. The North Antrim End Moraine can easily be mapped as a single feature on a December image. The Tempo-Sixmilecross Fault and Omagh Fault can also be readily mapped at low-angle illumination and the spatial relationships of these faults to associated structures readily determined. In vegetated terrain Thematic Mapper band 5 is superior to Thematic Mapper band 4 for information extraction. This is partly due to the lower reflectance variance for vegetation on Thematic Mapper band 5 compared with Thematic Mapper band 4, thus the continuity of features is not disrupted.