The data used in this tool were collected and made freely available by the International Argo Programme and the national programs that contribute to it. (http://www.argo.ucsd.edu, http://argo.jcommops.org). The Argo Program is part of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).
The data are obtained from the following URL:
www.argodatamgt.org/Access-to-data
Argo is a global array of 3,800 free-drifting profiling floats that measures thetemperature and salinity of the upper 2,000 metres of the ocean. This allows, for the first time, continuous monitoring of the temperature, salinity, and velocity of the upper ocean, with all data being relayed and made publicly available within hours of collection.
Argo deployments began in 2000, and by November 2007, the millionth profile was collected. Today, even with close to 3,800 active floats, there are still some areas of the ocean that are over-populated, while others have gaps that need to be filled with additional floats. Today's tally of floats is shown in the next figure. To maintain the Argo array, national programmes need to provide about 800 floats per year.
Figure: Positions of floats that have delivered data within the last 30 days
The original global Argo array was limited by technical issues in the seasonal sea-ice zones and in marginal seas. Thanks to two-way communication and ice-sensing algorithms, these technical limitations have been largely mitigated. The concept of Argo is of a spatially complete global array. Therefore, by including seasonal sea-ice zones and marginal seas the target number of Argo floats increases from 3,000 to 3,800.
In addition to the globalization of the core Argo described above, there are several Argo enhancements that are in various stages of development and implementation. These include extended coverage to the ocean bottom, additional floats equipped with bio-geochemical sensors, and enhanced spatial coverage in boundary current regions and equatorial regions.
Besides float deployment, Argo has worked hard to develop two separate data streams: real time and delayed mode. A real time data delivery and quality control system has been established that delivers 90% of profiles to users via two global data centres (GDACs) within 24 hours. A delayed mode quality control system (DMQC) has been established and 65% of all eligible profiles have had DMQC applied.
Float reliability has improved almost every year and the float lifetime has been extended. Argo has developed a large user community in universities, government labs and meteorological/climate analysis/forecasting centres. The need for global Argo observations will continue indefinitely into the future, though the technologies and design of the array will evolve as better instruments are built, models are improved, and more is learned about ocean variability.
Argo is a major contributor to the World Climate Research Programme's (WCRP) Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) project and the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). The Argo array is part of the Global Climate Observing System/Global Ocean Observing System (GCOS /GOOS).
