A low‐cost microcomputer system for interactive graphical processing of geophysical data on magnetic tape

Abstract

In a recent Eos article (“Applications of Personal Computers in Geophysics,” Eos, November 18, 1986, p. 1321), W.H.K. Lee, J.C. Lahr, and R.E. Haberman described the uses of microcomputers in scientific work, with emphasis on applications in geophysics. One of the conclusions of their article was that common microcomputers are not convenient for processing of geophysical data in a high‐level language such as Fortran because of the long times required to compile executable programs of only moderate size. They also indicate that common personal computers (PCs) are usually not equipped with tape drives and are not powerful enough to do heavy input/output (I/O) or “number crunching.” The purpose of this note is to supplement the material that Lee et al. presented by describing a relatively low‐cost microcomputer system that is capable of performing interactive graphical processing of meteorological data on magnetic tape in a variety of computer languages, including Fortran.