Argo floats sink to depths of 2,000 meters, drift with ocean currents for several days, rise to the surface taking measurements of water temperature and salinity along the way, and then transmit data back to shore via satellite before descending again. (Animation by Tim Silva, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Argo is a global array of 3,000 free-drifting profiling floats that measures the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 m of the ocean. This allows continuous monitoring of the temperature, salinity, and velocity across 2 kilometers of the upper ocean, with all data relayed to shore via satellite and made publicly available within hours after collection.
Length | 1.3m (4.3 feet) |
Diameter | 20cm (7.9 inches) |
Weight | 40kg (88.2 pounds) |
Depth | 2,000 m (6,562 feet) |
Endurance | 4-5 years |