The Real-Time Data Management System for Argo Profiling Float Observations

Abstract

Argo is an internationally coordinated program directed at deploying and maintaining an array of 3000 temperature and salinity profiling floats on a global 3° latitude ? 3° longitude grid. Argo floats are deployed from research vessels, merchant ships, and aircraft. After launch they sink to a prescribed pressure level (typically 1000?2000 dbar), where most floats remain for 10 days. The floats then return to the surface, collecting temperature and salinity profiles. At the surface they transmit the data to a satellite and sink again to repeat the cycle. As of 10 August 2006 there are 2489 floats reporting data. The International Argo Data Management Team oversees the development and implementation of the data management protocols of Argo. Two types of data systems are active?real time and delayed mode. The real-time system receives the transmissions from the Argo floats, extracts the data, checks their quality, and makes them available to the users. The objective of the real-time system is to provide Argo profiles to the operational and research community within 24 h of their measurement. This requirement makes it necessary to control the quality of the data automatically. The delayed-mode quality control is directed at a more detailed look at the profiles using statistical methods and scientific review of the data. In this paper, the real-time data processing and quality-control methodology is described in detail. Results of the application of these procedures to Argo profiles are described.