Air-Sea Interaction Meteorology: The ASIMET System

A buoy ready for recovery at the STRATUS site off Chile in the Pacific Ocean. The aluminum buoy is riding low in the water after a year at sea - one good reason why Surlyn foam buoys, which don't leak, are now routinely used.

The skies are nearly always overcast in this region, making it difficult to study the ocean surface with satellites. ASIMET buoys provide continuous data that would be nearly impossible to acquire otherwise. (photo courtesy Robert Weller, WHOI)