Research Expeditions & Deployment

The atmosphere and other components of the Earth system present scientists with complex puzzles to be solved. To get a better grasp on these problems, major field campaigns involving dozens to hundreds of researchers, often from a wide spectrum of academic disciplines and many national and international institutions, must be staged. The Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) expertly manages the staging and instrumentation of these programs. Over weeks or months, they deploy a host of sensors and bring back large quantities of data for analysis. Some results emerge quickly, while others take years of work to uncover. Computer models draw heavily on the knowledge gleaned from field programs.

Highlighted Topics

• The importance of observational research

  The accuracy, robustness, and performance of weather, climate, chemistry, and other models depend on sound theory and accurate measurements. These data, collected from innovative field experiments, advance real-world understanding of atmospheric and Earth processes.

• Staging a field campaign

  Successful field campaigns rely on both hands-on and logistical support. Some of the many requirements include adequate staffing, mission planning assistance, coordination of research organizations and science platforms, organization of meetings, and information dissemination. NCAR’s Earth Observating Laboratory provides this critical support to the research community.

• What Happens to the Data Collected during Field Campaigns

  The Earth Observing Laboratory fosters scientific research through simple and timely community access to all data collected by EOL facilities. Read EOL's Data Policy for information on accessing NCAR field research data. NCAR data can also be accessed from the Community Data Portal.