Float Operation
The Argo program was designed to operate on the same 10-day duty cycle to match the existing satellite measurements of the ocean's sea surface. These satellites, called Topex/Poseidon and Jason 1, measure changes in the surface topography of the ocean. With such measurements, information about temperature, mass redistribution, or surface currents can be inferred. The Argo floats measure subsurface changes in temperature and salinity, hence the float measurements are complementary to the altimetry.
Argo is named after the Greek mythical ship Argo which Jason and the Argonauts use on their quest for the Golden Fleece. The name was chosen to emphasize the complementary relationship of the project with the Jason-1 satellite altimeter.
Although drifting floats had been deployed during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment in the 1990s, Argo floats began to be deployed in earnest in the early 2000s. The target number of 3,000 deployed floats was reached during 2006–2007. The number of floats is continually changing as floats are lost or expire, while others are deployed. Nominally, some 750 floats are deployed each year to sustain the system. The floats have a nominal 300-km spacing, although the exact separations depend on the randomness of the float drift.
The Argo temperature and salinity measurements are yielding valuable information about the large-scale water properties and currents of the ocean, including the variability of these properties over time scales from seasonal to decadal.
Read more about this topic: Argo (oceanography)
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