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One example is the use of digital terrain data. These data are 
available for the conterminous U.S. in digital form as a matrix of 
X, ÿ, and z values compiled from 1:250,000 scale maps. These terrain 
data can be manipulated to produce elevation, slope, and aspect as 
individual or combined parameters of terrain. When registered to the 
Landsat data, they can be used to improve spectral classification 
results, especially for vegetation applications. When combined with 
the registered spectral classification data, terrain parameters provide 
an additional valuable input to a geographic data base. 
For geophysical exploration, our geologists are encoding airborne 
magnetometer survey data as shades of gray, registering these easily 
interpreted images to Landsat data, and comparing them in a flicker 
display mode of presentation for interpretation. 
For data from Landsat, we are looking forward to the development of 
digital, as well as analog, techniques for merging the lower resolution, 
emitted thermal data of band 8 with the reflectance data from the 
multispectral scanner system (MSS). We are also planning to exploit 
the high spatial resolution of the return beam vidicon (RBV) data by 
merging the RBV images with the spectral data of the MSS to produce a 
higher resolution color composite. 
We have just begun the exploration of the technology of analyzing and 
applying data from space. We look forward to sharing our work with the 
world community of users and the experience of, together, learning to 
benefit from the information available. 
June 1978