| Acronym | Meaning |
| ORSTOM | Institut Francais Pour Le Developpment En Corporation |
| DEM | Digitized Elevation Models |
| AFM | Atomic Force Microscopy |
| FAN | File Array Notation |
| NPOESS | National Polar Orbiter Environmental Satellite System |
| MPD | Magnetospheric Particles Detectors |
| OSDPD | Office Of Space Data Processing And Distribution |
| PRUDENCE | Prediction Of Regional Scenerios And Uncertainties For Defining European Climate Change Risks And Effects |
| PEC | Performance Management Committee |
| CAGEX | CERES/ARM/GEWEX Experiment |