Abstract: The invention relates to nuclear engineering and more particularly to a method and apparatus for inspecting and examining a surface inside experimental channels of nuclear and thermonuclear plants, providing examination of the surface both in the course of and after irradiation, the surface being examined in different operation modes of a probe scanning microscope by selecting a probe and a respective mode; the obtained images of different characteristics of the surface are analyzed to judge the degree and dynamics of irradiation effect on the examined surface from the analysis results, wherein the probe scanning microscope comprises a computer with a control console, and a measuring head of the probe scanning microscope, the measuring head including a cylinder housing (1) with dogs (4), a scanning unit, an electronics unit (3), a data path (2), a video camera (5), lights (6) and a retaining mechanism.