Argo Program StatusArgo Program StatusArgo TCArgo TC

ADMT#11

October 2010, Hamburg/Germany

210 nations maintain the global array and 20 more fill regional gaps60% maintained by the USA … Growing involvement of Europe is crucialSouth America ? Africa ?

Argo: the best cooperative effort in the history of oceanography

3Some floats are not sending good dataSome are beached or “blocked” under the seasonal iceSome are bumping each others in marginal seas …

Argo is not complete !

4Only 85% of the array is fulfilling the original AST designShort of requirements in the Southern OceanMore funding will be required to implement high latitudes and marginal seas

Argo is not complete !

Argo network is actually dropping …Argo network is actually dropping …

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Deployments have been slow down dramatically in 2009-2010 due to Druck pressure sensor problem.

Supply of CTDs is still limited (until early 2011 …) according to Seabird

=> A single CTD supplier is a “weakness” in the array

6Overall density looks good …

Argo is not complete …

7… but floats are getting old

8all groups plan their deployments via the central JCOMMOPS interfacewith TC backup … almost all.

Argo Planning

9… and optimize them gradually according to network density/age, colleagues plans, via a specific scoring system (avoid overlap, share opportunities, etc)

Argo Planning: large deployments anticipated in 2011– Cooperation even more important

Argo Planning:Argo Planning:

PROGRAM/SHIP/CRUISE #Depl. ∑ Scores Cruise Score (%) Global Score (%)

Argo SIO / KAHAROA / 50 29,1422 58,3 3,64

Argo JAMSTEC / / 40 18,7153 46,8 2,34

Argo CHINA / DONGFANGHONG II / argo-2010 31 2,0846 6,7 0,26

Argo SPAIN / / 24 10,2931 42,9 1,29

Argo SIO / MELVILLE / 19 6,599 34,7 0,82

Argo AUSTRALIA / IX15 ship - SCRIPPS / IX15 15 3,7018 24,7 0,46

Argo INDIA / SAGAR NIDHI / 15 2,1476 14,3 0,27

Argo AUSTRALIA / AURORA AUSTRALIS / Aurora West 13 5,0166 38,6 0,63

Argo AUSTRALIA / BOM SOOP ship / IX12 - North 13 4,6892 36,1 0,59

Argo AUSTRALIA / AURORA AUSTRALIS / Hobart to Casey/Davis 13 3,5502 27,3 0,44

Argo AUSTRALIA / BOM SOOP ship / IX1 12 2,8482 23,7 0,36

Argo WHOI / Safmarine Ngami / AX08 11 4,71 42,8 0,59

Argo AUSTRALIA / ASTROLABE / IX28 11 3,7439 34,0 0,47

Argo UK / / SK-279 GEOTRACES 10 3,1213 31,2 0,39

Argo INDIA / SAGAR KANYA / 10 2,8162 28,2 0,35

Argo PMEL / ALGOA / RAMA 10 2,0475 20,5 0,26

Argo AUSTRALIA / Florence / Coral sea - px30 9 3,737 41,5 0,47

Argo GERMANY / / ANT_XVII/2 8 2,7002 33,8 0,34

Argo AUSTRALIA / BOM SOOP ship / BOM IX12 South 8 1,9456 24,3 0,24

Argo AUSTRALIA / la Curieuse / la Reunion to Kerguelen 8 0,8034 10,0 0,10

Argo IFM-GEOMAR / / 8 0 0,0 0,00

Argo AUSTRALIA / la Curieuse charter / N of Mauritius 7 1,1316 16,2 0,14

Argo UK / / AMT-20 6 4,0016 66,7 0,50

Argo AUSTRALIA / Buxlink / Tasman Sea PX34 6 2,6456 44,1 0,33

Argo AUSTRALIA / Tsunami trip? / Indonesian EEZ 6 2,5858 43,1 0,32

Argo AUSTRALIA / commercial supply ship / Aus to Norfolk Island 6 2,1518 35,9 0,27

Argo NETHERLANDS / / ANT-XXVII/2 6 1,4983 25,0 0,19

Argo UK / / 6 1,4849 24,7 0,19

Argo SIO / / 5 2,8272 56,5 0,35

Argo AUSTRALIA / KAHAROA / just East of NZ 5 2,6233 52,5 0,33

Argo BSH / / 5 1,9361 38,7 0,24

Coriolis / ANTEA / OPP PIRATA IRD 5 1,75 35,0 0,22

Argo AUSTRALIA / IRON YANDI / Coral Sea - Iron Yandi 5 1,4315 28,6 0,1810

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Caution: a large part of the world ocean is made of “special” maritime zones

Plans are notified to IOC Member States according to IOC Res. XX-6 and XLI-4Specific warning system developed for Argentina, Brazil, Peru, China, Turkey

30% of the Argo array operates in Member States EEZsWaiting international agreements, transparency and cooperation are essential

Latest deploymentsLatest deployments

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116 295 452 672 870 1008 933 750 883 536 581

Logistics: Ocean access

RV Kaharoa float deployments … or how a single ship can make the difference

• Most floats are deployed by opportunistic use of commercial ships and RVs.

• In some remote regions this is not sufficient.

• U.S./New Zealand collaboration has resulted in deployment of 750 floats (plus drifters) by RV Kaharoa (28 m length, 5 crew).

• Future uncertain (lack of funding)

Recent positions of Kaharoa floats (red)

RV Kaharoa

Logistics: Lady Amber

• JCOMMOPS has been preparing a special deployment opportunity to fill gaps in the two main global arrays (Argo & DBCP) and complete modestly national initiatives that maintain them.

• A sailing ship, its captain and crew is ready to leave Durban/South Africa for a first test cruise under the IOC/WMO banner.

• Price is ten times cheaper than usual charters20 k€/month (non profit base) or 500 € / unit.

• Area of operations: ANY(except high piracy zones) including high latitudes.

• Full flexibility for deployment locations

• Promotional/media activities planned

• Logistics being checked (floats storage/deployment methods)

• Cooperation with SA weather Service PMO

• Space for (1-4) crew on board

• Some Argonauts have shown interest

contact JCOMMOPS

More details in next AIC Report.

Argo Data Stream

Argo Data Stream: DM StatusArgo Data Stream: DM Status

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Argo Data Stream: DM Status. Argo Data Stream: DM Status.

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PROGRAM COUNT(*) SUM(DELAYEDMODE) SUM(DM_ELIGIBLE)

Argo CHINA2 204 0

Argo COSTA RICA 82 0 82

Argo FINLAND 18 0

Argo GABON 67 0 30

Argo GREECE 20 0

Argo ITALY 17 0

Argo JMA 516 0 516

Argo KENYA 185 0 41

Argo KORDI 9947 0 9023

Argo SAUDI ARABIA 34 0

Argo SOUTH AFRICA 59 0

Argo SPAIN 1121 0 1073

Argo eq. AOML 3897 0 3897

Argo eq. ESP-OMZ 2227 0 1752

Argo eq. FSU 911 0 774

Argo eq. HNFRI 896 0 758

Argo eq. NAVOCEANO 23364 0 17470

Argo eq. NDBC 433 0 433

Argo eq. NRIFS 308 0 308

Argo eq. TNFRI 883 0 713

Argo eq. UM-OSU 26 0 26

Argo eq. UW-MBARI 19 0

Argo eq. UW-UA 347 0 347

Argo eq. VOCALS 588 0 453

Coriolis-BIOArgo 1165 0 763

Coriolis-CANOA 398 0 281

Coriolis-PROSAT 1084 0 658

Coriolis-SPICE 59 0

Coriolis-TRACK 1084 0 399

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Delays: GTS distribution meets operational requirements

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Delays: GTS distribution meets operational requirements

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Delays: GDACs distribution - some progress to be made

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Delays: GDACs distribution - some progress to be made

values > 2 were removed.σ

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Delays: GDACs distribution - some progress to be made

(in hours for July observations)

TOTAL GDAC DACAOML 38.81 13.29 25.51BODC 19.49 16.47 3.01CSIO 27.88 14.94 12.93CSIRO 33.98 27.67 6.31Coriolis 41.27 2.58E-05 41.27INCOIS 37.31 11.96 25.34JMA 36.20 36.32 -0.12MEDS 31.07 17.24 13.83METRI/KMA 40.41 34.72 5.68

(values > 2 were removed)σ

Conclusion: - FR-GDAC to investigate and improve (started)- Some room for improvement for some DACs (AOML, INCOIS, Coriolis)- AIC to refine stats and set up monitoring of US/GDAC delays (detailed index files ?)

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Harmonizing sampling strategies is “challenging ”

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Harmonizing sampling strategies is “challenging ”

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But drift/profile depths are rather homogeneous

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Float reliability has finally reached manufacturers spec. for most of float models

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Float technology improving, new sensors are being tested, …

Iridium slowly adopted (20% / year)

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Float technology improving, new sensors are being tested, …

• More than 200 Argo floats presently have O2 sensors.

• 47 measure SST (via unpumped or STS sensor)

• Other promising sensors are Chl-a (fluorescence) and POC (optical backscattering), nitrate, pH, passive acoustic listener ..

• QC procedures to be defined

• New sensors must be cost-neutral for core Argo.

• BioArgo (and others) need also to participate in data management and infrastructure

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Data Management Cost EvaluationData Management Cost Evaluation

Argo eq. contributions, ancillary float arrays are developing

Next decade will be multi disciplinary… (issue for the AST)

e.g. BioArgo (USA), ITP/WHOI, FSU, EM-APEX/UW …

DACs are busy … and it becomes harder and harder to process new (eq.) floats

I believe we need to get in touch with those groups and invite them to share data (T/S) as appropriate.

Can we quantify the cost for an established DAC to process a new group of float, in RT and DM?

Here is an attempt:…

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Data Management Cost Evaluation: RTData Management Cost Evaluation: RT

I evaluate the working time required for RT Processing, for X new floatsper year, and using Y different data formats, as follow: T (X,Y)= aX + bY + c (hours)

a = time set up the processing for one float, considering you have the decoder ready b = time to set up a new decoder (for a new data format, float type, etc )c = time to set up and maintain an appropriate information system (i.e. time to set up and maintain a DAC),

participate to the ADMT works and meetings, etc.

I evaluate the constants as follow :a = 1 hb = 40 hc = 920 h - (maybe 1840h is closer to reality i.e. 1 FTE) 

To evaluate the extra work required for an established DAC to process a new group of floats,I add a participation to the DAC operations (c) per number of floats X. :

T(X,Y) = aX + bY + c/X

Decoders developement is a serious cost constraintsEstablishing a DAC for only a few floats might not be a good choice

… better strengthen the existing DAC capabilities.

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Data Management Cost Evaluation: DMData Management Cost Evaluation: DM

T = aX + b (hours)a being the time required per year to process a float.b being the time required for miscellaneous software or data maintenance, meeting attendance,

etc.

I had feedback from a few other DM operators that told me that a could varybetween 1 and 4h so I pick 2h.I evaluate b=160 h (4 weeks)

Examples :• 500 floats => 1280h or 0.7 FTE• 100 floats => 360h or 0.2 FTE• 10 floats => 180h or 0.1 FTE

It is rather clear that doing DMQC for only a few floats is not really cost effective.We should maybe not encourage every float user to resource DMQC but rather strengthen main

groups capacity, preferably on a national basis.

To be refined (Euro Argo case study) Add also the participation to the infrastructure “cold quantitative study” …. good also to develop its own expertise.

Argo & Google Earth:Argo & Google Earth:monitoring the array and telling oceanographers stories … monitoring the array and telling oceanographers stories …

to promote and humanize the GOOS …to promote and humanize the GOOS …

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General info, stats, plots, links, metadata, data display tools, data (in all formats available), QC tools,float stories,Photos, promotion for all programs, CLSQC tools on locations, ellipses of error,100% RT …

Argo & Google EarthArgo & Google Earth

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Many improvements made July-September.

Next steps: - a few minor improvements - set up the 5000 T/S/Anomalies overlays … (Argo Atlas)- J. Gilson monthly file format fixed and ready- test the display (and animation) of the 3000 trajectories (may be not reasonable)- “Climate change cosmetic layer”

=> contact Google (partnership IOC/UNESCO & Google).

- UNESCO will promote this at different events (UN Atlas of the ocean/ New York)- Exposure at the Universal Exposition in Korea via IOC/GOOS.- (JAMSTEC is also preparing an Argo stand)

-Suggestions?-Please spend 5 min on http://argo.jcommops.org/argo.kml and feedback

-Remark: Feedback on Stephanie’s QC directly in the balloon ...

Some final remarksSome final remarks

• Action item: Metadata (Action #44)– Need common vocabulary for floats name and other key metadata– Need to “link” AIC Program name and meta file PROJECT_NAME (Argo/Argo eq.)

• Survey on operational users needs, practices with data access, monitoring tools, QC feedback tools, etc. (continue Megan’s work …)

AIC/JCOMMOPS in a transition period:Japan is about to fund the AIC.Functioning budget increasing and global budget decreasing.TC DBCP position renewed.Information System foundations redesigned (I.T. Team in place).Centre status being strengthen in France (MoU reviewed).New position to be established (if funded): Cruise Information Centre.