ABSTRACT
Remote sensing displays are usually two-dimensional projections that capture an atmosphere at an instant in time. This chapter examines how scientists manipulate and display remote sensing data; how they interpret what they see; and how they thereby understand the physical processes that cause what they see. It explores how novices and experts in the field relate displays of data to the real world. The chapter shows some examples of techniques used by scientists in climate and planetary research to both convey information and design research strategies using remote sensing displays. The communities of scientists who study the Earth’s climate and the atmospheres of the other planets barely overlap, but the types of questions they pose and the resulting implications for the use and interpretation of remote sensing data sets have much in common. Planetary scientists try to understand why circulation patterns and clouds on Mars, Venus, or Jupiter are different from those on Earth.
