1 Standard Float Cycle  Drifting Depth: 1000 m  Profiling Depth: 2000 m  10 Days Cycles

2 Status as of 1 December – 2724 Instruments

3 What is Argo ?  A new way to collect data from the ocean using robot floats  Take the pulse » of the Ocean’s upper layer in real-time  Complement to satellite and other in-situ observing systems  Access to data is free and unrestricted  Target- a 3° x 3° global array ( ~3000 floats) Benefits: Improve Ocean and Climate forecasting Understand ocean-atmosphere interactions Predict seasonal to decadal climate variability  Wide range of applications for high-quality global ocean analyses

4 Courtesy H. Freeland, IOS Canada

Total Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Mediterranean Sea Pacific Ocean Total Yearly Deployments

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7 Fleet of US, French, German and Japanese manufactured floats

8 (Deepest profiles at high latitude) Argo Profiling Depths

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10 Argo Status as of November 2001 (262 Floats/9 Nations + E.U.)

11 Argo Status as of January 2002 (310 Floats/11 Nations + E.U.)

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24 Deployment of floats in the remotest regions to achieve global coverage. The 28-m RV Kaharoa has deployed 437 floats. Global Argo coverage is possible with dedicated ship time in poorly traveled regions. Lat Bins Number 50 o -60 o N o -50 o N o -40 o N o -30 o N o -20 o N 206 Eq-10 o N o S-Eq o -10 o S o -20 o S o -30 o S o -40 o S o -50 o S 158 Worldwide Argo coverage “density”. Active floats per 10 o of latitude.

25 The status of Argo I.The Argo array is nearing full implementation, with global coverage, and 2700 active floats. II.Data are freely available, ~90% within 24 hours via GTS and internet. III.The northern hemisphere bias is diminished. There is no seasonal bias. IV.Data are being used by at least 14 operational centers, and a broad community of researchers. The second Argo Science Workshop was very successful. V.Delayed-mode processing is underway, and the backlog will diminish in VI.Argo’s broad international participation is unprecedented. VII.We are now seeing the oceans in ways that were not possible before Argo.

26 ARGENTINA-AUSTRALIA- CANADA- CHILE- CHINA- COOK ISLANDS- COSTA RICA- DENMARK- EUROPEAN UNION- FIJI- FRANCE- GERMANY- ICELAND- INDIA- INDONESIA- IRELAND- JAPAN- KIRIBATI- KOREA (REPUBLIC OF)- MARSHALL ISLANDS- MAURITIUS- MEXICO- MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF- MOZAMBIQUE- NETHERLANDS- NEW CALEDONIA- NEW ZEALAND- NIUE- NORWAY- PAPUA NEW GUINEA- RUSSIAN FEDERATION- SAMOA- SOLOMON ISLANDS- SOUTH AFRICA- SPAIN- TOKELAU- TONGA- TUVALU- UNITED KINGDOM- UNITED STATES- VANUATU- Supported by: Argo => International Project

27  Over 2700 operational floats  Free data distribution and sharing  Target deployment rate reached in 2004: 838 floats  Network is young  Deployment failure rate decreased from 8.6% (2001) to 1.9% (2004)  90% of the fleet is profiling deeper than 1000m  Argo is truly global and international Argo is doing well ! Conclusion:

28 Challenge:  Sustain the funding long enough to complete the global array …  … and demonstrate its value. => Continuous interactions between Research & Operational communities

29 Argo Globe, Courtesy H. Freeland, IOS Canada Argo Portal: