1,500 Floating Devices Pick Up Global Ocean Data
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and international partners announced Tuesday that 1,500 free floating data collection devices are operating in the world’s oceans.
The fleet will eventually include 3,000 floats, according to a NOAA press release. The devices, collectively called Argo, are in all the world’s ice-free oceans and are principal tools of many nations’ climate and weather programs. The European Union and 17 nations participated in the program.
“These devices are an important part of a global ocean observing system,”said NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher. “Argo floats collect and deliver information on the temperature and salinity of the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean and help give answers to a wide range of oceanographic and climate issues.”
Data collected by the floats are available without restriction to anyone wanting to use them. They are made available as soon as initial quality checks are completed, usually within 24 hours.
Scientists around the world use the Argo data to calculate heat storage by the ocean, study salinity changes because of changing rainfall, predict El Nio events, monitor how the oceans drive hurricanes and typhoons and other applications.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
