Argo

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Standard Float Cycle

• Drifting Depth 1000 m
• Profiling Depth 2000 m
• 10 Days Cycles

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Status as of 1 December 2724 Instruments
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• What is Argo ?
• A new way to collect data from the ocean using
  robot floats
• Take the pulse  of the Oceans upper layer in
  real-time
• Complement to satellite and other in-situ
  observing systems
• Access to data is free and unrestricted
• Target- a 3 x 3 global array ( 3000 floats)
• Benefits
• Improve Ocean and Climate forecasting
• Understand ocean-atmosphere interactions
• Predict seasonal to decadal climate variability
• Wide range of applications for high-quality
  global ocean analyses

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Courtesy H. Freeland, IOS Canada
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Yearly Deployments
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Fleet of US, French, German and Japanese
manufactured floats


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Argo Profiling Depths
(Deepest profiles at high latitude)
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Argo Status as of November 2001 (262 Floats/9
Nations E.U.)
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Argo Status as of January 2002 (310 Floats/11
Nations E.U.)
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Deployment of floats in the remotest regions to
achieve global coverage.
The 28-m RV Kaharoa has deployed 437
floats. Global Argo coverage is possible with
dedicated ship time in poorly traveled regions.
Lat Bins Number
50o-60oN 88
40o-50oN 202
30o-40oN 274
20o-30oN 221
10o-20oN 206
Eq-10oN 266
10oS-Eq 230
20o-10oS 226
30o-20oS 232
40o-30oS 254
50o-40oS 256
60o-50oS 158
Worldwide Argo coverage density.
Active floats per 10o of latitude.
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The status of Argo

1. The Argo array is nearing full implementation,
   with global coverage, and 2700 active floats.
2. Data are freely available, 90 within 24 hours
   via GTS and internet.
3. The northern hemisphere bias is diminished. There
   is no seasonal bias.
4. Data are being used by at least 14 operational
   centers, and a broad community of researchers.
   The second Argo Science Workshop was very
   successful.
5. Delayed-mode processing is underway, and the
   backlog will diminish in 2007.
6. Argos broad international participation is
   unprecedented.
7. We are now seeing the oceans in ways that were
   not possible before Argo.

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Argo gt International Project
Supported by
ARGENTINA-AUSTRALIA- CANADA- CHILE- CHINA- COOK
ISLANDS- COSTA RICA- DENMARK- EUROPEAN UNION-
FIJI- FRANCE- GERMANY- ICELAND- INDIA- INDONESIA-
IRELAND- JAPAN- KIRIBATI- KOREA (REPUBLIC OF)-
MARSHALL ISLANDS- MAURITIUS- MEXICO- MICRONESIA,
FEDERATED STATES OF- MOZAMBIQUE- NETHERLANDS- NEW
CALEDONIA- NEW ZEALAND- NIUE- NORWAY- PAPUA NEW
GUINEA- RUSSIAN FEDERATION- SAMOA- SOLOMON
ISLANDS- SOUTH AFRICA- SPAIN- TOKELAU- TONGA-
TUVALU- UNITED KINGDOM- UNITED STATES- VANUATU-
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Conclusion

• Over 2700 operational floats
• Free data distribution and sharing
• Target deployment rate reached in 2004 838
  floats
• Network is young
• Deployment failure rate decreased from 8.6
  (2001) to 1.9 (2004)
• 90 of the fleet is profiling deeper than 1000m
• Argo is truly global and international

Argo is doing well !
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• Challenge
• Sustain the funding long enough to complete the
  global array
• and demonstrate its value.
• gt Continuous interactions between Research
  Operational communities

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Argo Globe, Courtesy H. Freeland, IOS Canada
Argo Portal www.argo.net