also taken, The final goal of the investigation was to try to 
correlate these analytical data from sea water obtained by 
classical and more modern chemical procedures with the images 
from the sea surface recorded by photographic and scanning 
techniques from the aircraft. The M^s eleven-channel-scanner 
produced, in the visible and infrared region of the spectrum, 
individual pictures displaying differences in the spectral 
properties of the object. 
Évaluation o f Da t.a an d 
Digital Image Processing 
Further scientific evaluation of data and pictures recorded 
in this experiment has recently been performed, The images of 
the scanner are stored as digital picture element patterns on 
data tapes for the individual spectral channels, This makes 
them ideally suited for further digital processing; for this 
purpose and within the Program, DFVLR has assembled a special 
electronic computing system "DIBIAS" (digital image analysis 
system) in its research center at Oberpfaffenhofen. The system 
is designed for interactive use by the experimenters who can 
digitally process their pictures, display them on a color 
screen, and produce an output of images on paper or slide, 
black-and-white or color. 
A few examples for different digital processing possibilities 
were selected. Some applications have already been published 
elsewhere (6, 7, 8, 9). The aim was to test the computer pro- 
&rams available at Oberpfaffenhofen for their suitability in 
respect to the measurement of chemical data from the sea sur- 
face, particularly related to marine pollution phenomena, A 
first approach was to use combinations of "natural colors" 
taken from selected spectral channels, in order to display 
differences in spectral signature of the objects. Next, quo- 
tients between characteristic spectral channels were calcu- 
lated, using formulas with suitably selected coefficients, 
Contrast enhancement was achieved by using stored or spe- 
cially generated color wedges, thereby enabling the experi- 
menter to better evaluate the pictures. The wake of Research 
      
   
    
  
   
   
     
   
   
   
    
   
     
    
    
    
   
    
    
   
    
  
    
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