Field Campaign Design and Implementation with Traceability Matrix Decision Support

Abstract Intensive field data collection efforts (i.e., field campaigns) can be complex undertakings. Field campaign teams must balance multifaceted and competing objectives, known and unknown constraints, and must be adaptable to changing conditions. We developed several tools to manage these challenges for a recent field campaign, the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Postlaunch Airborne Experiment (PACE-PAX). PACE is a recently launched multidisciplinary satellite mission, and PACE-PAX was part of the data validation efforts for PACE. Two aircraft, two research ships, and various other surface-based measurements were coordinated to provide a validation dataset useful for many of PACE’s data products. Two specific tools were utilized for this purpose. First, we developed a validation traceability matrix (VTM) which connects validation objectives to measurement design and implementation. Crucially, measurement objectives in the VTM are numerically weighted to express differences in importance. They are further assessed in terms of the quantity of measurements needed to satisfy that objective and the likelihood of successful observation. The VTM is coupled with a decision algorithm, which provides a scoring mechanism. This score can be used prior to the campaign to compare mission design options with trade studies. During the campaign, it is used to assess the value of completed observations and guide planning for future observations. In this paper, we demonstrate how our traceability matrix decision support tools were used successfully with the PACE-PAX field campaign and provide guidelines and implementation tools for their use in future field campaigns. Significance Statement This article presents tools for successful management of fieldwork, particularly large field campaigns involving many elements and objectives. It connects traceability matrices, a tool often used for experiment design, with a scoring mechanism that assists in precampaign trade studies and a planning guide for use during the campaign itself. The value of this approach is that field campaigns can be designed and implemented in a systematic and objective manner. This approach is capable of managing a complex set of objectives of variable importance and builds upon the legacy of planning tools designed for campaigns with a single objective.