  The current case for atmospheric $\nu_\mu$ oscillations into active or
sterile neutrinos is reviewed. It is argued that neither the study of neutral
current events at Super-Kamiokande, nor the information obtained from future
long baseline experiments might be sufficient to unambigously decide between
these two scenarios. However, a combination of these results with the results
from future short or intermediate baseline $\tau$ appearance experiments would
clearly resolve most of the remaining ambiguities. This conclusion does not
strongly depend on whether the results from LSND will be confirmed or not. In
the case that LSND would be confirmed, a negative result in such a short or
intermediate baseline experiment would also unambigously exclude the
interpretation of LSND as indirect $\nu_\mu-\nu_\tau-\nu_e$ oscillations.
