Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Principal Component Analysis Approach to Evaluate Instrument Performances in Developing a Cost-Effective Reliable Instrument Network for Atmospheric Measurements

Simone Lolli Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

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Paolo Di Girolamo Scuola di Ingegneria, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

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Print Publication:
01 Sep 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0085.1
Page(s):
1642–1649
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Abstract

Developing a reliable cost-effective instrument network for data measurement is a challenging task for agency decisionmakers. A simple way to fully characterize the performances of an instrument that also considers economical and operational factors—price, maintenance cost, lifetime, etc.—currently does not exist. Through principal component analysis, a method is developed to build a composite index that assigns a single score to each instrument, taking into account all the scientific, economic, and operational aspects. This index will then represent solid help in building and optimizing a cost-effective network, bridging the gap between two very different worlds: the scientific need for precision and economic constraints.

Corresponding author address: Simone Lolli, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 612, Greenbelt, MD 20771. E-mail: simone.lolli@nasa.gov

Abstract

Developing a reliable cost-effective instrument network for data measurement is a challenging task for agency decisionmakers. A simple way to fully characterize the performances of an instrument that also considers economical and operational factors—price, maintenance cost, lifetime, etc.—currently does not exist. Through principal component analysis, a method is developed to build a composite index that assigns a single score to each instrument, taking into account all the scientific, economic, and operational aspects. This index will then represent solid help in building and optimizing a cost-effective network, bridging the gap between two very different worlds: the scientific need for precision and economic constraints.

Corresponding author address: Simone Lolli, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 612, Greenbelt, MD 20771. E-mail: simone.lolli@nasa.gov
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