"This report... describes the meteorological satellite program of the United States, the data acquired, the applications of the data to climatology, the procedures for archiving the data, and plans for future meteorological satellites."--p.[1-1].

This was the fourth postgraduate summer school on remote sensing to be held in Dundee. These summer schools were originated by, and continue to remain in, the programme of EARSel (European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories) Working Group 3 on Education and Training in Remote Sensing. The first of these summer schools was held in 1980 on "Remote Sensing in Meteorology, Oceanography and Hydrology". This was followed in 1982 by a more specialised summer school on "Remote Sensing Applications in Marine Science and Technology" which built on the foundation laid in 1980 and then concentrated on the marine applications of remote sensing techniques. The present summer school was another follow-up of the original 1980 summer school but this time concentrating on the atmospheric rather than the marine applications of remote sensing techniques. The 1984 summer school had not specifically involved atmospheric and marine applications but had been involved with the use of remote sensing in the field of civil engineering. This year's summer school was extremely successful. First of all, this was due to our sponsors, for without their very significant material contributions there would have been no summer school. These sponsors included the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO, together with the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories, the Council of Europe, the European Space Agency, the German Aerospace Establishment (DFVLR) and the Natural Environment Research Council.

Originally published in 1974, was a pioneering study which summarized, within the pre-existing framework of atmospheric knowledge, the more significant findings that emerged from the first decade of climatological analyses of meteorological satellite data. It shows how these data complement and extend the traditional coverage of climatology. The book draws together in one volume research findings which were not previously available in book form and which significantly improve the understanding of climate, especially in regions that were conventionally data-remote.

The report outlines key elements to consider in designing a program to create climate-quality data from satellites. It examines historical attempts to create climate data records, provides advice on steps for generating, re-analyzing, and storing satellite climate data, and discusses the importance of partnering between agencies, academia, and industry. NOAA will use this report-the first in a two-part study-to draft an implementation plan for climate data records.