NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

International Global Ocean Observation Array Nearly Complete

Eighteen countries, European Commission support Argo monitoring program

The free-floating Argo "robot oceanographers," an observation program that began in 2000 and is part of the global observing system to monitor Earth's oceans, is nearly complete.

According to an October 13 press release from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. floats have collected nearly 55,000 profiles.

Argo is an internationally coordinated global array of 2,057 temperature and salinity profiling floats, and a major component of the global ocean observing system. Eighteen nations and the European Commission support the program.

The program eventually will deploy 3,000 profiling floats.

"Argo's global coverage has increased our understanding of interrelated oceanic processes," said NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher. "These increases in knowledge will continue as more floats are added and more data points are collected over time."

The 54,447th Argo profile was transmitted October 5 on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) for use by the international oceanographic community.

Argo data are transmitted on the GTS to the international operational and research communities within 24 hours by National Data Assembly Centers. The NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Florida manages the real-time U.S. Argo data.

"We have seen immediate uses for the information, such as forecasting and monitoring of El Niņo events, as well as our regular seasonal forecasts," Lautenbacher said.

"The floats also contribute to a Global Earth Observation System of Systems," he added, "which helps us fill knowledge gaps in climate and ocean science."

The floats are deployed from research vessels, volunteer merchant ships and aircraft.

On release, the floats sink to a prescribed depth (typically 1,000 meters or 2,000 meters), stay submerged 10-14 days, then take temperature and salinity profiles of the water column on their return to the surface.

Once on the surface, the floats transmit their data to satellites and then repeat their data-collecting cycle.

"Argo data are being used by researchers and operational centers in many countries," said Argo project director John Gould.

In the United States, a consortium of academic and federal laboratories is supported by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program to produce and deploy Argo floats, provide quality control and transmit Argo data on the GTS.

More information on Argo is available at the Argo Information Centre Web site.

Text of the NOAA press release follows:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Washington, D.C.]
Press release, October 13, 2005

TWO MILESTONES FOR ARGO OCEAN 'ROBOTS': GLOBAL ARRAY 2/3 COMPLETE, 55,000th PROFILE NEAR

Oct. 13, 2005 - The free-floating Argo "robot oceanographers," a successful observation program that began in 2000 and is part of the global observing system to monitor Earth's oceans, reached two milestones: two-thirds completion of the international global array and the collection of nearly 55,000 profiles by the U.S. floats.

Argo is an internationally coordinated, broad-scale global array of temperature and salinity profiling floats, and a major component of the global ocean observing system. The program will eventually deploy 3,000 temperature and salinity profiling floats. As of October 12, there are 2,057 floats around the world.

"Argo's global coverage has increased our understanding of interrelated oceanic processes. These increases in knowledge will continue as more floats are added and more data points are collected over time," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

The 54,447th Argo profile was transmitted Oct. 5 on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) for use by the international oceanographic community. The NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Fla., manages the real-time U.S. Argo data. The NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle also participates in the Argo program.

"We have seen immediate uses for the information, such as forecasting and monitoring of El Niņo events, as well as our regular seasonal forecasts," Lautenbacher said. "The floats also contribute to a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, which helps us fill knowledge gaps in climate and ocean science."

The floats are deployed from research vessels, volunteer merchant ships and aircraft. Upon release, the floats sink to a prescribed depth (typically 1,000 or 2,000 meters), remain submerged from 10 to 14 days, and then obtain temperature and salinity profiles of the water column on their return to the surface. Once on the surface, the floats transmit their data to satellites then repeat their data collecting cycle.

"Argo data are being used by researchers and operational centers in many countries," said Scripps Institution of Oceanography's John Gould, Argo project director. "The data have allowed us to address problems that were previously hampered by lack of data. In particular, Argo has made an enormous difference in the remote Southern Hemisphere oceans. New results from operational centers and other researchers will be showcased at the Second Argo Science Workshop in Venice, Italy, in March 2006."

In the United States, a consortium of academic and federal laboratories is supported by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) to produce and deploy Argo floats, provide quality control and transmit Argo data on the GTS. Argo data are transmitted on the GTS to the international operational and research communities within 24 hours (defined as the real-time access requirement) by National Data Assembly Centers.

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction use Argo data for seasonal atmospheric forecasting. The international Argo program is supported by 18 nations and the European Commission.

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.

Relevant Web Sites

NOAA Argo Center
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/ARGO/HomePage/

About Argo
http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/FrAbout_Argo.html

Argo Profiling Floats
http://floats.pmel.noaa.gov/