| > Oceanography > Issues > Archive > Volume 22, Number 3 |
2009, Oceanography 22(3):46–55, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2009.65
Argo: The Challenge of Continuing 10 Years of Progress
Authors | Abstract | Full Article | Citation
Authors
Dean Roemmich | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, USA
The Argo Steering Team |
Mathieu Belbéoch (Argo Information Centre, France)
Howard Freeland (Fisheries and Oceans, Canada)
Sylvia L. Garzoli (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, USA)
W. John Gould (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton [NOCS], UK)
Fiona Grant (Irish Marine Institute, Ireland)
Mark Ignaszewski (Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, USA)
Brian King (NOCS, UK)
Birgit Klein (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, Germany)
Pierre-Yves Le Traon (Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer [Ifremer], France)
Kjell Arne Mork (Institute of Marine Research, Norway)
W. Brechner Owens (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA)
Sylvie Pouliquen (Ifremer, France)
Muthalagu Ravichandran (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, India)
Stephen Riser (University of Washington, USA)
Andreas Sterl (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Netherlands)
Toshio Suga (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan)
Moon-Sik Suk (Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute, Korea)
Philip Sutton (National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, New Zealand)
Virginie Thierry (Ifremer, France)
Pedro J. Vélez-Belchí (Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain)
Susan Wijffels (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Marine and Atmospheric Research, Australia)
Jianping Xu (Second Institute of Oceanography/State Oceanic Administration, China).
Abstract
In only 10 years, the Argo Program has grown from an idea into a functioning global observing system for the subsurface ocean. More than 3000 Argo floats now cover the world ocean. With these instruments operating on 10-day cycles, the array provides 9000 temperature/salinity/depth profiles every month that are quickly available via the Global Telecommunications System and the Internet. Argo is recognized as a major advance for oceanography, and a success for Argo's parent programs, the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment and Climate Variability and Predictability, and for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. The value of Argo data in ocean data assimilation (ODA) and other applications is being demonstrated, and will grow as the data set is extended in time and as experience in using the data set leads to new applications. The spatial coverage and quality of the Argo data set are improving, with consideration being given to sampling under seasonal ice at higher latitudes, in additional marginal seas, and to greater depths. Argo data products of value in ODA modeling are under development, and Argo data are being tested to confirm their consistency with related satellite and in situ data. Maintenance of the Argo Program for the next decade and longer is needed for a broad range of climate and oceanographic research and for many operational applications in ocean state estimation and prediction.
Full Article
Citation
Roemmich, D., and the Argo Steering Team. 2009. Argo: The challenge of continuing 10 years of progress. Oceanography 22(3):46–55, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2009.65.