| Overview |
The broad-scale global array of temperature/salinity
profiling floats, known as Argo, has already
grown to be a major component of the ocean
observing system. Deployments began in
2000. The name Argo is chosen to emphasize
the strong complementary relationship of the
global float array with the Jason
satellite altimeter mission. For the first time,
the physical state of the upper ocean will be
systematically measured and the data assimilated
in near real-time into computer models.
Argo builds on other upper-ocean ocean observing
networks,
extending their coverage in space an time, their
depth range and accuracy, and enhancing them
through the addition of salinity and velocity
measurements.
Argo has several objectives. It will provide a
quantitative description of the changing state
of the upper ocean and the patterns of ocean
climate variability from months to decades,
including heat and freshwater storage and
transport. The data will complement the Jason
altimeter with measurements of subsurface
temperature and salinity vertical structure and
velocity information, with sufficient coverage
and resolution to permit interpretation of
altimetric sea surface height variability. |
An
Argo float being deployed
from a research ship. |
