Field Research Campaign Support: A web based tool to provide support to researchers in the field and to broadcast experiment status in real time

Abstract:

Performing field research that leads to scientific discovery is a key activity for NASA Langley Research Center. Further, making field results available to a large and interested audience quickly is another key goal for the team at Langley. Towards both of these aims, we have devised a system that is used to provide support for teams of atmospheric scientists in the field as well as making the information they generate available in real time or near-real time.

This project builds upon NASA Langley Cloud and Radiation Group’s experience with making atmospheric science information accessible and easily searchable. By providing support to teams in the field, it is possible to deliver real time aircraft information and near-real time satellite imagery and cloud products to end users as it is being generated or utilized in the field.

Additionally, we discuss the requirements and lessons we have learned from supporting field campaigns in the past and how automation acts as a work multiplier enabling novel new features that result in higher productivity of our teams in the field.