Argo (Environmental & Earth Science)
From The Encyclopedia of Earth
Oceans and seas (main)
Argo
March 29, 2010, 12:00 am
November 20, 2011, 1:59 pm
Argo is a global array of 3000 free–drifting profiling floats deployed to measure the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 meters (m) of the seas of the world.
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This will allow the continuous monitoring of the climate state of the ocean. At full network installation, Argo provides 100,000 temperature-salintiy profiles and reference velocity measurements per year from floats distributed over the oceans at about a three degree spacing. The floats will cycle to 2000 m depth every ten days, with a planned four to five year lifetime for individual instruments. All data will be made publicly available in near real–time via the Global Telecommunications System, and in scientifically quality–controlled form within a few months.
Further Reading
- Physical Oceanography Index
- Argo Homepage
- Seas of the World on Encyclopedia of Earth
