1. AIC Report Argo TC AST #8 Paris, IOC of UNESCO

2. 2 Argo Status 2804 Active Floats 2643 on GTS 2743 at GDACs 115 (258) on “grey list”

3. 3 Argo Status 2804 When will we reach 3000 Floats ? - survival rate maintained - Deployment rate 800 year => 3000 by the end of August 1800 1200 2400

4. 4 Argo Status Source: SIO/ USA Distribution not optimal (south hemisphere)

5. 5 Network Age

6. 6 Argo Status

7. 7 Argo - Implementation

8. 8 Argo - implementation Argo

9. 9 Argo Planning Argo is entering a new phase: sustain the array Rational planning of deployment is necessary to: –Maintain an optimal coverage –Make an optimal use of ship time Deployment opportunities: –Extend regional support –Cooperate with other panels (e.g. DBCP) –Monitor planned cruise (need international tech. coord. process)

10. 10 Argo Planning Argo needs to organize efficiently its own planning Regional coordinators have recalled difficulties in gathering plans TC took step to facilitate their work, Establishing a centralized mechanism to update all plans Extending the regular notification process –Draft mode added –Text file loader added –User Guide issued –Many exchanges with float operators Providing new (R/T) products: web pages, ASCII files, GIS data layers Monitoring network coverage, age, lifetime Missing spatial dispersion (ideas ?, volunteers ?)

11. 11 Argo - Planning Goal: cross all data layers: floats, drifters, density, age, plans, SOOP lines, past/planned cruises, etc …

12. 12 Cycle metadata Need to cross check AIC meta-database & GDAC metadata files

13. 13 Argo - Technology

14. 14 Argo - Technology Float lifetime improving but not yet optimal 2003 2004 2005 2006

15. 15 Argo - Technology

16. 16 Argo - Technology

17. 17 Argo - Technology

18. 18 AIC - Background Established in Feb. 2001, Toulouse (France), within JCOMMOPS Became part of the Argo Project Office in 2003 Staffed with 1 Technical Coordinator (IOC employee) Funded by Australia, Canada, France, UK and US Guidance by AST co-chairs and Director Close collaboration with IOC and WMO secretariats IOC Res. XX-6 implementation International Technical Coordination

19. 19 TC Activities E. Charpentier moved to WMO in Feb. 2006 replaced by Hester Viola (BOM, Australia) in July 2006 => Impact on TC work load minimal Information system finalized New website released in Sept. 2006 Float database management rationalized: Weekly/Monthly reports to float operators and data managers Working time: 1 day/week + 1 day/month floats activity (4500 deployed, 2800 active) is rigorously monitored

20. 20 TC Activities => See report for daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, biennial and ad hoc tasks. Need technical (I.S development and maintenance) & secretariat support 500 Argo emails sent in 2001 500 in 2002 1000 in 2003 1350 in 2004 1250 in 2005 1800 in 2006

21. 21 2006 TC Missions AST#7 Hyderabad Argo France meeting, Brest IOC/ABE-LOS #6 meeting, Malaga IOC Executive Council, Paris Visit of WMO, Geneva Visit Webb Research, Woods Hole DBCP meeting, San Diego Visit Scripps, Dan Diego ADMT #7, Tianjin Argo Workshop, Ghana Visit Ifremer / IRD / Meteo France, Brest EURO Argo, NAARC #2 meetings, Brest

22. 22 Weekly/Monthly Report Report sent to argo-st & argo-dm mailing lists - Most of information is available on-line - New tables added (e.g. metadata files check by Coriolis, GTS reports by MEDS) - Latest versions with index, links working - Reports stored on-line - Will be gradually improved

23. 23 AIC & Data Management Assistance for data distribution, Argos RT data distribution monitoring –New human resource at CLS … Daily monitoring (GTS & GDACs) –reports to DACs to optimize distribution => data missing on GTS/GDACs < 1.5% Visibility for all GDACs, DACs, ARCs products Send your URLs to AIC Argo Users Survey (see report)

24. 24 Communication with users 1) Direct support to users Support Centre on AIC website (doc., simple form) Coriolis codac@ifremer.fr evaluatedcodac@ifremer.fr Generic ( operational) email set up: support@argo.netsupport@argo.net Need relay when TC unavailable Monitored by AST/ADMT (request open/closed) FAQs gradually added 2) Feedback from data users No clear mechanism today See SOLO/FSI pb… Website / email support@argo.net => appropriate relay to float operator, data source, dm operator, etc.support@argo.net 3) Communication to all data users (pb., updates, … ) New mailing list probably needed SOLO/FSI pb good opportunity to start

25. 25 AIC Information System

26. 26 AIC I. S. Notification in advance is essential: Law of the Sea requirements (IOC Res. XX-6) Monitoring by AIC (maps, stats, tables, etc) Deployment Planning Tracking of Iridium floats Interim systems developed … AIC needs a single and independent access point

27. 27 AIC I. S. JCOMMOPS web services monitored by CLS operators Procedures being tested Target: 24/7 operational web services current 2007

28. 28 New AIC website New hardware/software JCOMMOPS integrated design New products, statistics, … Sections improved Ask TC for a demo …

29. 29 AIC www Audience >> target 11000 visits/month since 2004 Users survey Survey made before the release of the new site …

30. 30 AIC www: Suggestions improve website speed and stability (ongoing) provide hard copies of content to developing countries (ongoing on Argo CDROM) add a real-time density coverage layer to the interactive map (being finalized) Add a web form to ask for WMO Ids (being discussed with WMO) Access to download publications (legal issues) More FAQs on trivial questions Better bibliography More visibility to oxygen pilot project Forum to answer and discuss questions/doubts about Argo data use ( => argo@jcommops.org) AIC & APO/AST websites => integration ? Better design of www.argo.netwww.argo.net

31. 31 New AIC website Homepage Visibility for all participating countries Direct access to national statistics Argo Operations –Implementation What is Argo … Participating countries (deployment tables, stats, chronology, …) New notification interface (more metadata gathered, planning table, netCDF loader being tested) Beached floats retrieval (list, safety guide) –Monitoring Project Status statistics (see presentation on “Argo Status”) Statistics, tables for all contributions, direct access to interactive map –Map Room New design for monthly maps Google Earth daily files Daily Ice edge for interactive map

32. 32 New AIC website –Instrumentation Survival charts for all float models More accurate survival charts can be done on demand –Data Tables on data distribution status (GTS/GDACs) tuned DAC-less table added Support page to be added Links to DACs, RDACs reviewed/added Common JCOMMOPS sections –Platform New search engine (many more criteria for query) Many more metadata added to result list Statistics available for any float group Complete float detail page netCDF metadata explorer developed –Documents doc. & press releases checked/added –Contact –Links: updated –Meetings –Gallery –Help: Site Map added

33. 33 New AIC website AIC toolbar –Shortcuts –Search engine (Google & AIC) –Direct link to platform detail page –Brief news –Links GDACs, national websites, –Ideas ?

34. 34 Samples

35. 35 Samples

36. 36 AIC www monitoring … …

37. 37 Argo – International issues Law of the sea (IOC/ABE-LOS) –Better and better thanks to international cooperation – !!! Notifications please !!! –Careful with new sensors or gliders … Donor programmes: –Achieved: Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Mauritius, Brazil, Chile –Ongoing: Ecuador, Dominican Rep., Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast –Caribbean Region, Philippines, Columbia –Cape Verde, Sri Lanka

38. 38 Argo – International issues Beached floats –1-2 % –Retrieval is a long process –Solution: send an expert if needed –Good opportunity to strengthen regional support –Promote Argo (and other ocean. Obs) to coastal people (GOOS ?)

39. 39 AIC Communications Articles in French press (Thalassa magazine) Article for Mercator newsletter Float shown at national TV French TV ready for the 3000th … NASA request: movie of float deployment JCOMMOPS initiative with CNES, “Argonautica”

40. 40 AIC Planning Address any issue with new website Highlight Argo project progresses (Products) Improve reporting finalize tools to assist deployment planning Set up the Support Centre Monitor progress in DM data processing Improve Argo portal, www.argo.netwww.argo.net Finalize donor programmes with IOC/WMO Finalize retrieval procedure Establish new contacts (e.g. research cruises) Improve modestly Argo media coverage

41. 41 Argo Information Centre Thank You … Mathieu Belbeoch, Argo TC belbeoch@jcommops.org