Summary Report B Data Handling Systems

The data-handling problem arises in all disciplines, and with all observing instruments. In fact, the manipulation of the observational data forms the natural bridge between the remote sensing instrumentation on the one hand and the user community on the other. The chain linking instruments and disciplinary use is shown in Figure 1. It will be observed that the data-handling activity overlaps largely with sensors and platforms, at one end of the chain, and with management information systems at the other. (See the background paper by Sheffield.)