What are real-time measurement technologies?
Within the Triad, real-time measurement technologies are technologies that provide and manage results quickly enough to affect the course of ongoing field work. The Triad does not try to define “real-time” in terms of the absolute number of seconds or minutes required for the result to be generated, because such a distinction is necessarily arbitrary. Also, as technologies evolve, the expectations of data users for what is considered “real-time” are also evolving. Finally, since the Triad grounds all concepts in the goal of confident decisions, use of the term “real-time” is also grounded in what is required to support project decision-making while work is underway. One outcome of this definition is that a particular measurement or analytical technology may produce results that are “real-time” for the purposes of one field activity (e.g., site characterization), but not for another (e.g., remediation support). Since Triad terminology defines “real-time” in terms of supporting on-site d
