Optimizing Observing Systems Using ASPEN: An Analysis Tool to Assess the Benefit and Cost Effectiveness of Observations to Earth System Applications

Abstract

The Advanced Systems Performance Evaluation tool for NOAA (ASPEN) is developed to help support designing and evaluating existing and planned observing systems in terms of comparative assessment, trade-offs analysis, and design optimization studies. ASPEN is a dynamic tool that rapidly assesses the benefit and cost effectiveness of environmental data obtained from any set of observing systems, whether ground-based or space-based, whether an individual sensor or a collection of sensors. The ASPEN assessed cost effectiveness accounts for the level of ability to measure the environment, the cost(s) associated with acquiring these measurements, and the degree of usefulness of these measurements to users and applications. It computes both the use benefit, measured as a requirements-satisfaction metric, and the cost effectiveness (equal to the benefit-to-cost ratio). ASPEN provides a uniform interface to compare the performance of different observing systems and to capture the requirements and priorities of applications. This interface describes the environment in terms of geophysical observables and their attributes. A prototype implementation of ASPEN is described and demonstrated in this study to assess the benefits of several observing systems for a range of applications. ASPEN could be extended to other types of studies, such as assessing the cost effectiveness of commercial data to applications in all the NOAA mission service areas, and ultimately to societal application areas, and thereby become a valuable addition to the observing systems assessment toolbox.