A preliminary analysis of a SPOT HRV multispectral scene centred on the Chott el Djerid in southern Tunisia is presented. All three HRV bands are very strongly correlated for this scene, and statistically it has an overall one-dimensional structure, although the near-infrared band provides unique information on the variability within vegetated areas. Each of the three bands has discriminatory potential. Inter-detector variability is clearly visible in HRV band 2, and there are also systematic changes in level. The improved spatial resolution of the HRV sensor is notable, compared with the Thematic Mapper.