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DATA MANAGEMENT It is evident that meteorological satellites of the future will necessarily provide information to a much broader category of users than does the present system. New data-management techniques will have to be implemented to disseminate appropriate data to a variety of users on a current basis. In addition, the categorizing and storing of historical data for climate-prediction models and other future uses will need to be more comprehensive and flexible. This is by no means a trivial problem. The vast amount of raw data transmitted to the ground by weather satellites makes it mandatory to undertake a substantial amount of processing before the data are stored. A great deal of thought must go into determining the optimum method and system of processing in order to achieve maxi- mum compression of data with a minimum loss of flexibility to potential users. In studying this problem, the needs of fields other than weather forecasting must be fully considered. Finally, in the design of the total system, considera- tion must also be given to the output of certain standard products such as average-cloud charts, mean temperature, or average IR emission. RECOMMENDATION - The Panel recommends that a comprehensive data-management scheme be implemented to utilise and store more effectively the vast quantities of information being obtained by meteorological satellites. The data system should function to (1) provide meteorological information to the broad category of users not directly in weather forecastingt (2) catalog and store information for future use, and (S) design, develop, disseminate, and store sets of informa- tion products derived from satellite data. l7
